The One That Got Away
by little-trickster-ghost
Summary: The sudden announcement of an arranged marriage, to the most disreputable person in Asgard no less, leaves Sigyn torn between duty and the desire to decide her own fate . With everyone refusing to disclose any of the details behind the arrangement, and an unknown enemy silently preparing to strike from the shadows, things are only bound to get more complicated.
1. A tumultuous beginning

**A/N: I am editing this because there were some errors, some typos as well as some sentences that simply did not work and they were driving me crazy.**

* * *

 **1\. A tumultuous beginning**

Black clouds obscured the sunlight, casting a grey shadow all over the land. The wind howled and thunder rumbled in the distance preceded by flashes of lightning, but the rain had yet to fall. Sigyn had always found thunderstorms to have a sort of refreshing quality. Unlike most, she had always enjoyed days like this, when the heavens raged upon the earth breathing new life into it. This time a storm greater than the one about to break out was already raging inside of her. A storm that would never show on the surface as long as she had any control over it.

A week had passed since she had been called by her mother to have it _announced_ to her that she would be leaving her home behind, to be given in marriage to a man she only knew by name. In what was closer to being her second home, Asgard, no less. She had cried and raged at having her own life taken away from her hands and manipulated to fit strangers' interests. Interests that were never even properly explained to her. She knew enough about Asgardian diplomacy to have a good guess about what those were. _Getting offered up as a gift to some member of the royal family. Not even an actual family member with any claims to the throne, she was only good enough for someone lesser._

'Some things we do out of choice, others out of duty. It is how life is, and pondering on it won't change anything. You have many things to take care of rather than waste your time like that.' Her mother had replied, otherwise remaining tight lipped about the affair. Sigyn had found it hard to accept, both the sudden announcement and the absurd secrecy. In the end she had given up, for the time being at least. Until perhaps a different way out presented itself. She had never been the kind of person to claw at the walls of a room with no doors.

As she waited in her empty room, looking out on everything she would be leaving behind, Sigyn decided not to dwell on her grievance. Tears only did so much good- which was to say, none. The thoughts of the plains and forests of Vanaheim were already laced with a tinge of nostalgia, even though she hadn't left them behind yet. She made a promise to herself, never to let that bittersweet nostalgia turn into painful homesickness. With that little vow, she turned away from the window, towards the bare bed where a leather traveling satchel lay. It was the only piece of baggage she would keep on her. She picked it up and walked towards the door as the first drops of rain hit the ground.

* * *

The storm had moved away from the sky Citadel, but the skies of Asgard remained overcast. The lack of sunlight gave Loki a strange sense of comfort. It reminded him, in a way, of home. The Jotun had been born in a sunless -for the most part- realm, and no matter how long he had lived under the Asgardian sun it still felt foreign on his skin at times. He strolled outside the walls of the golden city through damp fields at the edges of which the smooth landscape gave way to thick forests. The howling wind had been reduced to gentle gusts that carried the smell of wet earth. They were the only things to interrupt the otherwise still nature. At any other day he would had experienced a pleasant interlude of peace, but at the very moment an unease was eating away at him.

Loki had always found himself subject to wanderlust; the open road was the sole cure for his restlessness. This time however, the very cause of his unease was how wandering was starting to lose its appeal. And yet, staying still felt every bit as hollow as it had always felt. _What is left then?_ He wondered hollowly.

Seeing that his aimless roaming did nothing to ease his mind, he started making his way back inside the massive walls. He made no effort to walk gracefully. He dragged his feet in the mud, his mood even fouler than when he had first set out. He vaguely remembered about some obligation his brother had mentioned to him.

 _If only it was easier to pay attention to this stuff..._ He thought, unable to recall what exactly he was supposed to be attending. The God of lies figured he could easily conceal this little negligence. _Just be presentable and available to any summons. It might even be somewhat of a pleasant distraction._ Loki mused, the right corner of his mouth turning up a bit as the prospect slightly lifted his spirits.

* * *

At the beginning of their trip the storm had been raging in full force, the rain pounding harshly against the cart's canvas cover. The little hood over the drivers' seat hardly offered any protection, yet the two men sitting at the front had assured their passengers -Sigyn and her handmaiden Erika- it would be no problem for them. Approaching Asgard they left the rain behind, although the dark clouds still hung overhead and the occasional roll of thunder reached their ears from afar. Sigyn had flapped the canvas on her side of the carriage open as soon as the rain had stopped. She stared out, not really seeing the vast plains that got replaced by looming woods, lost as she was in thought. Erika sighed and gazed at the landscape. Enchanted by the sight, she did not really mind the silence. Leaving Vanaheim was wondrous enough for the younger woman.

Sigyn's lack of expression did not have its foundation in serenity, but in fear. It was not Asgard itself that scared her. She had visited it on occasion, seeing as her own father was the ruler of the realm. While they did not share a close family relationship, she had always been welcome in Odin's hall. Even though she had been but a child when she had last accepted that hospitality and her memories of it were less than clear, she still did not see the realm as something foreign. She let out a weary sigh. What scared her, was what awaited her there.

Loki had never been physically present during her stays in her father's realm. He had sometimes been spoken of, and she knew that he was her father's younger brother -only in title, a Jotun in blood. She had never really cared to learn more. When she had learned that she would be getting married to him out of all people she had tried to change that. In the end, none of her questions had gotten any answers. That only helped to worsen her fear.

 _A known evil_ , she thought, _is better than the unknown. And why hide a truth that is not ugly?_ When the massive walls of Asgard came into view, the young goddess focused on steeling her nerves, making sure her carefully built mask of manners and formality would not fail her when she needed it the most.

* * *

Loki had made a point of avoiding everyone and everything as he had walked through the city. He'd slipped into Odin's hall from a small side entrance and quietly made his way to his own quarters. Halfway there he had decided that getting intoxicated to a point beyond consciousness would be the best distraction there was for his taut nerves. _To Hel with social obligations_. But he knew right away that it was a bad idea. There is a short number of bad ideas one should let manifest within a period of time. He was well past that number at the moment, which did not bode well for his physical integrity.

In the privacy of his quarters, Loki discarded his muddied boots and his damp clothes. He proceeded to submerge himself in scalding water; so hot it would probably kill a human, and cause a lot of pain and discomfort to an Aesir. It felt just right. He stayed in the water until it went cold -for his peculiar temperature standards that is- by which time the tips of his fingers had turned wrinkly from the water. He had lost track of time by the time he got out of the tub and dried himself up with a towel that he then fastened around his waist; just in case someone decided to barge into his room, an occurrence not exactly rare, to his discontent.

The Trickster flipped through his clothing options, unsure of just what he was getting dressed up for. Eventually, he picked out a green tunic made of soft wool, a supple brown leather vest embroidered with gold thread, and close fitting pants of the same material. He threw everything on his bed and followed suit, only to push himself back up a few seconds later. Loki had always treated social obligations with mild disinterest, or downright boredom, and yet this time a mysterious anxiety was nagging at him. Call it a sign of fate, a gut feeling, or perhaps a false alarm. Fact was, the God of chaos needed a drink. Fortunately, his tendency for stashing necessities, such as wine, meant he would not really have to go far to get it. A minute later he was back on the bed, leaning against the headboard wine-cup in hand and much better equipped to deal with life than before.

* * *

The distance between Asgard's gates and Odin's great hall had been covered swiftly and in silence. It had been unusually quiet in the street, probably due to the storm that had just passed. Storms were a rare occurrence in Asgard, even more so natural storms that had not been caused by Thor.

Sigyn had asked for her old rooms and by the time she arrived her things had already been moved there. She and Erika took their light hand luggage and the goddess guided them both inside after thanking the two coach drivers while they were tending to the horses. The hall too was a lot less busy than usual. It gave it a less formal and more homely air that Sigyn really appreciated. Normally guests would get some sort of reception, but after a personal request to Odin himself she was left to her own device until she would be ready to present herself. The mere thought of such formalities was enough to dishearten her further.

The chamber had been just like she'd remembered, with the difference that all those years ago everything had seemed bigger. It was still big and cosy enough, the huge canopy bed dominating a lot of the space. She had loved that soft bed with the thick veiling on each side. It had always given her a sense of seclusion and safety. At the moment however, she could not shake off the feeling of being exposed. She ignored it, and set to changing into more court appropriate clothes, not wanting to abuse her given liberty. She told Erika, who would be staying with the goddess, that she was free to go look around. The girl agreed in delight. After she had departed, Sigyn hastily slipped into a plain long blue dress, modest but not prudish. It highlighted more of her figure than she was used to.

'That will have to do.' She said to no one in particular, and then left the security of her room behind.

* * *

The intoxicating effect of wine was amply appreciated by the Trickster. One cup followed the other as he lay in waiting, even though a little voice in his head – the one called common sense- told him that showing up drunk would be even worse than not showing up at all. Maybe it was the attitude of the Aesir warriors rubbing off on him, or maybe it just came with being a man -most of the times at least- in any case, he decided there was no way he was as weak as to get drunk over a few glasses of wine. So, in every passing moment of wait the world became a happier place for Loki. A knock on his door startled him, and as he jolted up he realised the world was also becoming a less steady place.

'Master Loki?' A small voice came from the other side of the wooden door, but as he did not grace it with a reply the door remained shut.

Loki got up slowly. His head swam but he could stand. He tried walking towards the door, achieving more stability with every step. He pulled the door open a bit too suddenly and found himself faced with a tiny raised fist. The servant had paused mid-knock and was for all purposes gawking at the almost-naked god. Loki smirked at her reaction and was tempted to drop a comment that would turn her a brighter shade of pink than the one currently on her face. She lowered her eyes and let out an awkward cough before speaking up.

'The Allfather requests your presence in the throne room.' She said.

Deciding in the last moment it was really not the time for fooling around he dismissed the servant closed the door and walked back into his room. In an effort to clear his head Loki splashed cold water on his face before pulling his clothes on. Trying to achieve as much sobriety as he could, he took the longest route possible to Odin's throne room. That included a detour through the gardens. The long walk and the fresh air both helped, so by the time he reached his destination he had complete control over his movements again, even if his head remained fuzzy.

He approached the double doors, pushed one of them open and walked inside, proceeding to casually stride towards the only other people occupying the space at the moment.

* * *

Shortly after exchanging greetings and brief news Odin had suggested that Sigyn should officially meet her intended.

'What, right now? At this hour? Would he not be really busy doing…things people usually do at this hour around here? We could always leave it for- '

'Now is as good a time as any.' He had cut her off, leaving no space for refusal. He had then assured her that she would be excused quickly. Despite that, she had felt her stomach turn into a knot the second the young servant who was sent to summon Loki had departed.

The creaking of the wooden doors alerted them to the Trickster's presence. When she took in the form of the man who had just entered, a wave of surprise hit the young goddess. Even though she knew that the Aesir just like the Vanir did not really have to abandon their youthfulness regardless of their years, by thinking of her father's generation she could not help but picture older looking people. Perhaps it was because her most prominent example was Odin himself.

Loki, Sigyn thought, resembled the younger brother of Thor more than that of Odin. _Not only he isn't a scrawny old man, he is actually_ -she resented the involuntary thought- _really attractive_. Of course among the gods, good looks were not exactly rare. The average Asgardian man was strongly built, with clean-cut masculine and well-proportioned characteristics. What made Loki stand out was how he differed from the pattern. As tall as any other Asgardian but with half the bulk, he moved with an effortless grace that would normally endow unpleasant femininity. But not on him, as it fell in complete accordance with his slender figure. His features had a sharpness to them, intense green eyes and fiery red hair actually complimenting his pale complexion. He practically radiated allure and danger, and Sigyn felt one meaningless worry die down, but ten new coming to take its place. _And did he look somewhat off in another way as well?_

Finding herself mesmerized even for a few seconds only made the flame of resentment in her chest flare up more angrily. Sigyn blamed the slip up on her obvious surprise and to some extent relief. Being forced to marry a handsome young man rather than an ugly old man was admittedly the lesser of two evils. The focus on 'evils', as looks did not speak for character, and she could only hope that her father would not make her spend her life with a terribly crude, or abusive man.

 _Then again, he has done worse to ensure his interests_. The thought made her shudder, and she turned her scrutiny on the Jotun who had just stopped a few feet away. He gave her a quick glance, but turned his attention towards his brother first.

'You sent for me.' Loki started, his voice as ambiguous as his looks, pleasant but sharp at the same time. 'Would you care to introduce me to our lovely guest?'

 _The lovely guest could introduce herself if you actually addressed her._ Sigyn thought in irritation. He was starting to rub her the wrong way already.

He looked at her again, a hint of playfulness in his eyes. She felt slightly unnerved, and decided to leave the honours to Odin without complaining.

Odin turned to her first.

'My sworn brother and advisor, Loki Laufeyson of Jotunheim.' He announced, inclining his head towards the younger god.

Sigyn turned to Loki, wondering if she had to show any acknowledgement. _He sure didn't._ Before she could say anything, the Allfather spoke again.

'This,' -Loki turned to look at her as Odin spoke- 'is my daughter, lady Sigyn of Vanaheim. The woman that, as you know, you will be marrying.'

In an instant the Trickster's confident, playful look transformed into the very image of horror-struck shock. Eyes about to drop out of their sockets and mouth hanging limply open, Loki's expression looked like the comedic attempt of a predator to imitate trapped prey.

At first Sigyn was genuinely confused, but as realization dawned on her, her own shock could easily match the flustered god's, who was staring from her to his brother and back. _He did not know…_ The phrase echoed in her head like a mantra and she barely contained a hysteric urge to laugh. She eyed the Jotun with a bemused expression.

Loki finally snapped his mouth shut and clenched his jaw, regarding the young girl like she was some sort of infection. His expression brought the knot back to Sigyn's stomach. He turned to the Allfather –who seemed unfazed by the whole thing-, and muttered a strangled 'I will what?' It came out a lot less aggressive and indignant than he had intended. His air of elegance was gone, and he seemed unfocused, although that could easily be the result of the high concentration of alcohol in his bloodstream. He seemed to be grasping for words for a few moments, finally he said in a thick voice:

'Why, no one seems to have remembered to inform me of that.' He paused. 'Too bad. Had I known, I would had made sure to be more available.' He concluded, and with the tiniest of head-bows towards the ruler of Asgard, and no acknowledgement of the Vanir's presence whatsoever, he turned around and rigidly hurried away.

For the first time Odin's neutral mask slipped, revealing annoyance underneath. He turned towards his daughter, who was at the moment lost in a trance of silent befuddlement.

'Maybe we should had broken it to him a bit more gently?' She suggested. If Odin's stare was anything to go by, it was not a good time for sarcasm.

'Could I be excused now?' She managed awkwardly, and the older god nodded. She turned after a stiff bow and barely resisted the urge to flee the room, hurriedly walking out and then almost running all the way to her quarters.

In the safety of her chamber, Sigyn felt herself breathe properly again. She flopped onto the bed with a long sigh, and there she stayed unmoving. When Erika returned to their quarters shortly after, she had already heard the news. The walls had ears, and of course they made sure to always inform the servants first, so she was not surprised to find her mistress in the way she did. She could not know exactly how much of what she had heard was true, regarding both recent events and the Trickster in general, but she still felt bad for her.

The goddess did not even notice her entrance, so absorbed she was in thought, her brow slightly furrowed.

 _Quite a piece of work that Loki seems to be,_ Erika mused, _oh you poor thing..._ She walked to the bed, making sure to alert the goddess to her presence, and not to frighten her. When she sat down and placed her hand on Sigyn's upper arm the older woman did not flinch, she just turned her face towards the girl. Just when Erika was about to say something comforting Sigyn spoke in a completely calm voice.

'So there is actually one person that is more terrified than me because of this affair.' She let out a small giggle that evolved into breathless laughter. It surprised Erika who had expected to find her in a state of distress.

'You are not… upset?' She asked, eyebrows raised comically.

All this time, I pictured myself as the victim of this. The one that was getting traded away to a man who had consented to this affair. But it would seem I have given the most consent out the two of us.'

She left the last sentence hanging and turned to her thoughts again.

'So it is true then? He had no idea and stormed out on you? How can you even not know something like this?' The servant let curiosity get the best of her and regretted it instantly. However the goddess did not seem offended or displeased, she smiled a little at the girl and nodded.

'He did, and I don't know if I am glad about the fact that we are both in the same position, or scared to have this man resent me the way I had resented him up until now.'

'You no longer resent him?'

Sigyn shook her head absently. 'I resent what is going on, but it has become more than clear he is the least to blame for it. I think I almost... feel bad for him.' She admitted.

The way Sigyn spoke to her, in a genuinely kind and friendly tone made Erika often express herself more boldly than what befits a simple handmaiden. Maybe that was what pushed her to say the next thing, maybe it was just the genuine desire to lift her lady's spirits.

'May I ask…?' She started with an almost guilty expression that tugged at the goddess's curiosity and made her nod urgently. 'Is he as good looking as I have heard?'

Erika was pretty sure she could feel her face heating up. Sigyn found the display endearing. She grinned playfully at her handmaiden and responded with a bit of exaggerated drama. 'Oh, did they even do him justice?.' She paused and considered something, her expression turning mischievous. 'Although maybe it also was the cat-that-just-got-doused-with-cold-water look flattering him.'

Both women laughed until they were out of breath. Sigyn felt her muscles relax, her pent up nervousness steadily ebbing away. With a lighter heart she eased down and let sleep carry her away.

* * *

Loki had made no attempts at a hasty exit, rage being the only thing that had made his footsteps petulantly hurried. Part of him had been intent on running away, but his more chaos-loving side had been spoiling for a fight, hoping to be stopped, yelled at. Any chance for him to come down on them -them being anyone- like a typhoon of flaming anger. And maybe some actual flames too. Nothing of the sort would happen though, much to his discontent and best interest at the same time. By the time he had reached the Hall's front entrance, the inside of his head had become a dizzying cacophony of thoughts. He had absently stepped out instead of making his intended dramatic exit.

 _I've been set up, and I proceeded to make a fucking fool out of myself! Oh by Vallhala who does Odin think he is..."as you know" he says! As I know my ass. That lying- S_ uddenly his torrent of thoughts froze still, as one little notion sent a chill down his spine. The thought of how Odin had started his little speech earlier this day. The one that the Trickster had proceeded to ignore. In fact, he had immersed himself in his own thoughts and shut out the world from the very start, exactly because of Odin saying: 'You know, all this messing around with married people is going to land you in a lot of trouble...'

 _As I of course know._ In a moment of clarity the incomprehensible recent events seemed to make a lot more sense. At the same time his wife-to-be was immersed in the world of dreams and free of all worries, Loki froze in his tracks in the middle of the street realizing with a heavy heart that he himself had set the trap he was currently in.

A sudden drizzle-turned-downpour, like a bad-timed aftershock of the earlier storm, was the thing that snapped the disgruntled Jotun out of his trance and urged him to move on towards his intended destination. He rushed his step, soon breaking into a trek as he navigated in the dimly lit residential area. He finally stopped in front of a medium sized house, identical to the ones around it-but for the fact that it was the only one without an awning. _Figures._ He pounded on the door, getting drenched every second no one was answering. The door creaked open to reveal absolute darkness, and a barely discernible figure outlined in the doorway.

'Loki?' The surprise in the man's voice was enough to get the message "The fuck are you doing out in this cataclysm?" across.

'May I come in before I drown out here?' He asked impatiently, and the figure of the man disappeared from the doorway.

The Trickster stepped in, making a small flame hover over his palm bright enough to navigate himself inside. The door shut behind him but he did not turn around. He made his way towards the cold fireplace and started to get a fire going. The task took him a few seconds, seeing as all he had to do was supply some dry wood and deposit his magically created flame on top of it.

Meanwhile, the owner of the house was deftly moving about in absolute darkness and then dim firelight without even regarding his surroundings. The reason for that was that he was blind, light being of no use to him. The man looked –and was- younger than Loki, a mop of black hair hiding a face even more youthful than his. He was pale, lean, and tall -although shorter than the Jotun- and clad in dark clothing. In the dim light the combination looked ghastly.

Hod, Balder's younger twin brother, was the exact opposite of his sibling. He looked like darkness incarnate, and many called him the shadow to his brother's light. Maybe that was what had originally drawn Loki to him. In any case, young Hod had been the first person he had thought of going to, like in many personal crises before.

'So, what happened?' The Aesir asked as he placed a full wine-glass in Loki's hands, before filling one of his own.

'Why does something need to have happened?' Loki inquired, leaning against the wall by the fireplace and taking a small sip. He managed to sound completely unfazed, and silently congratulated himself for that.

Hod eased himself down on a chair and sighed. 'When does it not? Even if we assumed you were the kind of person to pay pleasant little visits, and more so in that downpour, you are still taut as a bowstring, one does not need eyes to see that. I don't know what it is that has happened, but something has.' He concluded, sounding pleased with his deduction.

Loki let out a small humourless laugh. 'Let me take it from the start then.'

And so, Loki laid out the events the way they had happened, quickly muttering the parts about his own idiotic behaviour and reciting the parts where he got wronged with exaggerated drama. In other words, being typical Loki. Hod listened quietly without making any comments. He was a good listener like that, although they both knew that once the older god was finished talking he would offer a completely honest opinion. Loki was not fond of that honest criticism, but neither was he particularly capable of it. That was why he so often sought out the young Aesir. That and his confidentiality, derived from a total lack of interest in gossip.

When Loki's narrative was concluded Hod paused in thought for a few drawn out moments. Loki rolled his eyes although he knew the gesture had no impact whatsoever.

'Sure, father's way of going about it was sneaky, and telling you today would had been too late even if you had actually listened, but you are not exactly what one'd call innocent and gullible to fall for it.' the younger god stated.

 _Oh joy, he is also against me._ The Jotun mused, noisily letting his head drop in his palms.

'So while I see why you should be _somewhat annoyed,_ ' Hod continued sharply 'I can't find it in me to feel bad for you. Because if _you_ are panicking like that, I can only imagine what my poor sister must feel like. Especially since you have probably treated her like some sort of pest.'

 _Great, familial sentiment too._

'She could had said no if she had a problem, I don't think they actually forced her!' Loki protested.

'So could you, right there, right then. Why didn't you?' Hod said mildly.

It rendered the Trickster speechless for a moment, enough to realize how he truly did not care all that much about a stranger's feelings, especially the one stranger that was being forced on him. He was about to voice just that, but was cut off.

'I am not going for an appeal to your sensitivities,' the blind god said with a hint of anger 'but since you are in the same position, would it hurt you so much to make an ally rather than another enemy, or another victim?'

There was a finality in his tone, he had nothing more to say on the matter, and he would not attempt to do so.

Loki sighed. 'I will make amends.' He said in a resigned tone. 'But tomorrow.' With that he got up and left the blind god's house, weariness weighing down on him.

* * *

Sigyn found herself awake before sunrise because of her early retirement the previous night. She felt rested and refreshed. She noticed that her handmaiden had actually fallen asleep on her bed. Much like herself the girl was dressed in day clothes, although Erika had not even removed her shoes. She rose quietly as to not disrupt the other's sleep and walked over to her window seat. She watched the sun go up, thankful that her quarters had a view of the sunrise.

She tried to think of events in a detached way, which helped her stay positive; bask in the newness of things rather than dwell in the fear of the unknown. With that thought in mind, she gently shook her servant awake and they both departed from the quarters.

Before anything else, she really was in need of a bath to get the grime of the travel off. She had fallen asleep last night without managing to ask about it, and so at the moment she was looking for anyone that could give her some directions. Her search, however, brought her instead to the currently empty women's bathhouse. She smiled at Erika. 'It seems we won't need any help after all.'

The latter was not sure if it was right to use it without any assistance of the Hall's servants. Her mistress seemed to harbour a disregard for formalities and unimportant -as she categorized them- rules, as well as the tendency to try and do everything by herself. Erika sighed and settled for helping her prepare a bath. The handmaiden had taken her time the previous night to clean herself, so she simply kept the goddess company.

They chatted absent-mindedly as the older woman soaked in the warm water. Erika was in the middle of recounting her unexciting previous evening when the door of the bathhouse creaked open. A young girl walked in, tall and willowy but clearly not yet a woman. She was garbed in plain servant's garments and she had a folded towel and a change of clothes tucked under her arms.

She did not seem startled to see the two women there, although after some silent observation she exclaimed 'I do not know you two. Are you lady Sigyn's handmaidens?'

Erika's eyes widened as she realized it must be common for servants to use the baths early in the morning before the day begun, but not so much for the ladies of Asgard.

She was about to correct the misunderstanding when she felt a wet palm squeeze her elbow. She turned to see Sigyn give her a pointed look before speaking up.

'Yes we are.' she directed to the girl. 'Our lady wanted some time alone,' she added 'so she sent us off.'

Erika did the best to keep bewilderment from her face.

The girl gave them a knowing smile and got closer.

'I am Roskva.' She introduced herself. 'And I am also making the best out of my time off.'

'Nice to meet you.' Sigyn said smiling. 'I am Signe and this is Erika.'

Erika inclined her head and opted for small talk, still worried about whatever game the goddess was playing. 'Do you work here?' She asked Roskva.

'Oh, no.' the girl replied. 'I simply come over to help or spend my free time when my master is away or does not need me, which is quite often actually. Can't stand sitting around in an empty house.'

She left the bundle of clothes and her towel next to the large bath close to where Erika was sitting and turned around to remove her clothes.

'And who would your master be?' It was Sigyn's turn to direct a question to the young servant, while politely facing away.

Roskva lowered herself into the water with a pleased sigh. 'My master,' she said in a dramatic voice. 'is the teller of stories and weaver of lies. He is the one they call Silvertongue and Trickster. He is chaos incarnate…' She grinned at the two women and added in a lighter tone. 'And I believe he is supposed to marry your mistress.'

'Loki?' Erika exclaimed in surprise.

Sigyn's triumphant expression spoke volumes for itself however, it was now obvious her little ruse had struck gold. _Those are some interesting epithets._ She mused.

'May I ask' Erika started, now in sync with Sigyn's plan 'what your master is like? Out of curiosity… We thought it would not be appropriate to ask our lady.'

'And she would probably not know yet anyway.' Sigyn added.

Roskva smiled at the two almost apologetically. 'One cannot possibly put him in a frame. He shows a different face to everyone, but for him to show his true colours, it takes time and patience...Or luck.' Her expression did not show scorn, but rather a trace of endearment.

'But you should tell your lady this, she should not listen to what people have to say about him. Which really is quite a lot and not entirely untrue.' She paused thoughtfully for a moment. 'In truth, Loki is neither bad nor good. He is like fire. He can be dangerous if you don't know how to treat him, and he cannot truly be controlled or tamed, but that does not mean he cannot do good.'

From all the rumours she had heard, Loki had not struck Erika as one who would be particularly kind to anyone, especially servants. And yet this girl's disposition told a different story. She had spoken the least scornfully of him out of all the people Erika had talked to, and she was actually the one closest to him.

'Maybe it is not my place to say so,' Sigyn begun with the appropriate hesitation 'but it does not seem easy to know how to treat your master.'

Roskva laughed out at that. 'That would be an understatement.' She said. 'But he has stories to tell and things to say; he can be pleasant company, and he is hard but not impossible to figure out. If anything, it may make it all the more interesting.'

Sigyn nodded politely and proceeded to leave the water. Roskva turned away out of courtesy, as Sigyn dried herself up and slid into the dress she had brought with her. When Roskva turned towards her again her expression transformed from neutral, to curious, to bewildered. The woman she had taken for a servant was dressed in court garb, and Roskva was sharp enough to understand what had happened. Sigyn felt a mix of guilt and the mischievous satisfaction playing a trick induces.

She saw that the young servant was blushing and lost for words, so she said: 'I am sorry for deceiving you, Roskva.'

The latter looked up from the point in the ground she had fixed her eyes on, still slightly flustered.

'You really should not feel bad about it.' Erika supplied, and if there was an edge to her words directed to a certain goddess, she would never admit it, as it would not be her place.

Sigyn nodded in agreement, as she was starting to feel really bad about what she'd just done.

Roskva sighed and gave the goddess an uncertain smile. 'You, my lady, will be quite a match for my master.' She said and then she turned her attention to her bath again.

Sigyn and her handmaiden turned to leave, but the goddess paused right before the door. 'Will you tell him about this?'

'I doubt he will ask.' Came the reply and the two left the room.

* * *

 **This first chapter switches POVs way too often, there's none of that in the following. Also it is a tad more melodramatic than I am used to writing, but what can you do, it's how it is no matter how much I tamper with it. It gets more fun later, promise.**


	2. Amends (almost)

**A/N: 2 edited**

* * *

 **2\. Amends…almost**

Loki's morning had started with a hangover worthy of the gods. The Jotun would had had revaluated his life choices, had he not been forced into doing that the previous night. As things stood, he'd had more than his share of self-pity, anger, and alcohol, which had left him utterly drained and resigned. He'd gotten up before the break of day, a feat in itself for him, and he'd blearily dragged himself to Eira's house. He had proceeded to disrupt the healer's sleep to demand a remedy for his condition, barely remembering to apologise for the inconvenience. She had not seemed to mind, being used to grumpy patients and aware of Loki's bad relationship with the morning hours -and his even worse one with willingly seeking a healer's aid. By sunrise he'd been back at his house, nursing his headache with the herbal concoction Eira had supplied.

While the previous night he had been overcome with rage and dejection, the new dawn had brought back in him the feeling of curiosity. The bitterness was far from gone, but questions about the woman that was to be his wife had involuntarily leapt in his mind. He also found that most of his bitterness was directed at his brother and not the goddess, _Sigyn_ , herself. Thinking back, she really had not struck him as the kind to play Odin's kind of game. In fact, she had seemed rather out of her depth. The Trickster had learned early on not to underestimate anyone, so he kept in mind that anything could be hiding under the plain surface.

Pressed by obligation and somewhat spurred by that curiosity, the god of chaos set out to restore the order he had disrupted; a hardly favoured task of his. He arrived at his brother's hall late in the morning, a time when everything was bustling with life. He did his best to ignore pointed looks and low whispers. The moment he entered the dining hall, where a lot of the Aesir were gathered taking breakfast or simply lounging, a telling silence fell. He paid no heed at that, determined to act as if the rumours that would had undoubtedly made the round of Asgard did not have an ounce of truth in them.

Sigyn was seated in Odin's table, engaged in conversation with Frigga, and while Loki's entrance hadn't gone unnoticed she had not acknowledged it. She could swear she had seen a flash of distaste in the older goddess's face, but she had ignored it. The young Vanir could not help but feel her stomach clench when he lightly made his way towards the table. Loki looked nothing like he had the previous night. The very air around him felt lighter. He approached the table and chirped out pleasant greetings to both Odin and his wife, before turning his attention to the younger woman.

'Lady Sigyn, I owe you an apology.' He said soberly, slightly bowing his head down 'I hope you will allow me to make up for my less than exemplary behaviour last night.' He walked around the table over to her side and extended a hand in invitation, smiling slightly.

 _Is that the same person?_ Sigyn found herself wondering. She shuddered to realize everyone around the table and beyond that was looking at her.

While the notion of leaving the safety of the familiar company was unsettling, and that of being left alone with Loki terrifying, nothing was worse than the barely disguised scrutiny of everyone around her. She put her hand in his and let herself be guided out of the dining hall, dozens of eyes following her. They went out through a small side entrance that opened up to one of the gardens. It was meticulously trimmed and a faint touch of familiar magic tingled in the air. Frigga's magic.

The moment the door closed behind them all the noise ceased and Sigyn felt an ambient calmness-product to some extent of the magic- overtake her. It did not last long however. Despite her impeccable practice in social conduct, she found herself unable to form the right words, or in fact any words at all. As anxiety started to rise in her chest Loki spoke up.

'Walk with me?' He suggested.

She nodded and they fell in step with each other in a leisurely pace that allowed her to look around.

'How has your journey been?' he asked in a pleasant tone. If he was affected at all by the heavy atmosphere, he did not let it show.

'Good, considering the conditions.' She replied, simultaneously initiating a panicked inner monologue. _Did my voice tremble? Oh dear I sound so bland. Did I just manage to sound too dull for weather talk? Maybe I do hate him after all… Oh, don't worry, you won't have to ever get married to me, you will have died of boredom by the time-_

'You really resent small talk don't you?' Loki pointed out, his expression undisturbed.

Sigyn felt blood rushing to her face, as she realised how she had stopped paying attention while he had been talking. 'I got distracted.' She managed, not even convincing herself. 'It does not usually happen…Not that it is your fault! I mean-'

The Jotun did not seem offended. In fact he was having a hard time keeping himself from laughing. 'You might as well be honest with me.' He said.

It struck her just how true that was. With everything already decided, trying to impress was rather pointless. 'I find it a waste of breath.' She blurted out, slightly surprised by her own bluntness. Raw truth rolled off her tongue with much more ease than pleasantries.

'It's fundamental courtesy to somehow fill the silence, and most are averse to engaging in a deep conversation with someone they barely know.' He commented.

 _Most are averse to marrying someone they barely know._ She thought bitterly. 'A conversation does not have to be deep to be meaningful.' She said instead.

He turned to her, the barest hint of actual interest in her words showing in his expression for the first time.

'Strangers can exchange opinions as well as friends do, as long as the subject is appropriate. In fact, it merely needs to be a conversation at all and not a mindless chat, to not be boring.' She concluded.

'What would an appropriate subject be then?' he asked.

Her expression grew distant and closed off again and she did not reply. She looked down in unease.

Loki frowned slightly. 'You might want to at least pretend not to be so discontent.' He said in a dry tone.

She lifted her head to meet his eyes. 'Would you fall for it?' She asked, trying to mimic his unemotional tone with little success.

Loki did not say anything in response. Hod's words from the previous night sprang into his mind _"I can only imagine what my poor sister must feel like…"_ His annoyance subsided a bit, and his next words had no trace of scorn.

'You don't have to do anything you don't want to, and you don't have to decide anything now. It is mid-autumn. If by the beginning of spring you still loathe the idea, I promise you we will not get married.' That was something he had taken for granted from the start, and it had taken him too long to realize that this would not be the case for her.

She had not expected this and she was visibly taken aback. However, his expression seemed serious. 'Alright…' She muttered. 'But why are you making such a promise?'

He raised a questioning eyebrow. 'Because it only makes sense to do so.' He replied.

'You might as well be honest with me.' She quoted him, relief already seeping in her voice.

'I have no idea.' He admitted, giving her a theatrical sheepish smile and shrugging.

The tension between them dropped as abruptly as it had risen. As if the negatively charged words between them had never been spoken, as if the veil of awkward silence between them had been lifted days ago and not mere moments, they slowly eased into lighter conversation. The unfortunate particulars of their acquaintance did not matter for a while, as the two people made the start of getting to know one another. Within the secluded little garden, the unwilling betrothed took the reluctant first step towards perhaps becoming willing friends.

The hours passed, and when the sun had climbed too high up in the sky they had retreated back inside the palace, and had ended up in the great dining hall. Odin and Frigga had left, and so had most of the other Aesir. Sigyn and Loki both found a good conversation partner in each other, although neither dared to give much thought to that. Sigyn was a good listener, and Loki even managed to slowly coax her out of her shyness, pleased to see her talk as fast and enthusiastically as he did.

At some point, a servant had come up to them, to announce to Sigyn that Freyja would be holding a feast in her honour. While she was being filled in with directions and the time and day, as well as the pleasantries such invitations generally included, Loki was making low snide comments about it and the host, just for her to hear. She had maintained a stony expression throughout, and grinned widely when the servant had left. 'Must you do this?' She asked.

'Yes.' He grinned back.

The interruption, however, had disrupted the pace of the conversation and reminded both of them how time was passing, and how it did not feel quite right to be spending too much of it together. As if on cue, they got up each to excuse themselves, and almost relieved they went their separate ways.

As Loki walked away, out of Odin's palace and headed for his own house, his mind tried to make sense of things that seemed to make no sense at all. He had somehow come to terms with not hating her. _She is so young and oblivious,_ he had reasoned, _she is obviously not a schemer._ But then, not disliking her, not finding her presence a dull bother, and not wishing she would talk as little as possible… It was getting too much. Why had he tried to get her to talk more? Why had he stayed with her so many hours? Surely the social obligation had been met a lot before Loki had actually gotten up and left. And most importantly, _why had those hours passed so swiftly, almost unpleasantly so?_

Problems, in Loki's agenda, were divided into two big categories. First, those that would inevitably and shortly lead to his painful death, painless death, or deathless pain. Secondly, those that would not. At least not for a long time. The first were to be dealt with, using every bit of ingenuity and resourcefulness the Trickster had. The latter, were mostly to be ignored, until they went away or got promoted to the first category. Unsettling as it was, the conundrum that presented itself in the form of the young Vanir woman was best ignored. With that in mind he felt a lot less troubled.

He refused vehemently for the rest of the day to care, or to indulge in any more decent activities. In fact, as the day wore on, his activities grew more and more indecent. When night finally fell, he decided he should get as indecent as it gets, which usually took its toll on someone else's marriage. _But to Hel with marriages anyway._

Sigyn had spent her evening in her older brother's house. Both Thor and his wife Sif had been hospitable, and pleasant to spend time with. Of course it could had helped that she was in really good spirits, due to the following reasons: One, Loki had not murdered her. Two, she had not murdered Loki. Three, neither of them had actually envisioned murdering the other or getting murdered during their time together. Four, it had been a really pleasant time.

In the end she left them tired, full, and content. A bitter sense of concern still lingered. That could take a lot of time to fade away. Still, it was nothing compared to what could had been, _or,_ she realized grimly, _what could still be in the future._ Sigyn had never been one to wish for things to get better. In fact, few were the times she had found herself asking the Fates, or whatever power was responsible, for anything at all. But when she did, it was always this humble little wish: _Don't let things get worse._

The next morning found Loki in a bed that was not his own. That was far from an unusual occurrence. A quick inspection showed that the bed belonged to a man. Another one showed that Loki was presently also a man. He unceremoniously got out of the bed, and proceeded to quietly search for his clothes and put them on. As the first rays of light started to emerge, Loki slipped out the back door and headed home.

* * *

Sigyn could hear the festive commotion of inside the hall from the entrance steps. She had yet to completely wrap her head around the idea of the whole feast being in her honour. Of course, the possibility that it was really just another excuse for everyone to drink themselves stupid–as Loki had so eloquently put it at some point- was ringing quite true. She hurried up the stairs, eager to get inside the warm space. Raucous chatter and music, a wave of heat, and the mixed scent of food firewood and people assaulted her senses the moment she swung the door open. It was slightly overwhelming, but inviting at the same time.

No one seemed to notice her entrance. She started walking towards the crowd, uncertain of where exactly to go. The crowd parted to reveal the hostess of the celebration. Freyja looked stunning. In an assortment of red silk and golden jewellery that not many women -even goddesses- could ever hope to pull off, she easily drew every pair of eyes in the room on her. She was aware of every bit of admiration, desire, and envy she caused, and she thoroughly enjoyed it. Unlike Sigyn, who felt overly conscious of the attention when Freyja walked over to her and greeted her enthusiastically, before turning to the expectant crowd, arms still linked with the younger Goddess.

'I want to officially extend my hospitality to my kinswoman, Sigyn Odinsdottir of Vanaheim. I am sure you will all make her feel welcome in Asgard.' Said Freyja.

A hearty cheer erupted from the crowd, and Sigyn stayed rigidly on Freyja's side smiling awkwardly, unsure whether she should say or do something. However the crowd of people soon returned to their drinking and merriment, getting her out of that tight spot. Freyja urged the younger Vanir to come along and Sigyn obliged. Men and women were still for the most part gathered in separate tables, huddled together and exchanging news and stories, an arrangement that would cease to exist later in the night.

Freyja approached a group of goddesses that were laughing about something. She introduced Sigyn to those of them she did not already know, and joined the conversation. It was about people Sigyn did not know much about, so she sat there listening, gratefully accepting a drink from a passing servant. It was pleasant to simply be part of a group, drink, and hear stories about people's romantic exploits and misadventures. At times Sigyn would notice odd looks from someone in the table, but she was quick to dismiss it. Being quiet at feasts would always earn her a curious look or two, especially since the Vanir had such a reputation as outgoing.

'So, how are you doing?'

It took Sigyn a few moments to realize that Sif was directing the question to her. They had been together a few evenings ago, so Sigyn assumed that Sif was simply trying to include her.

'It has been really good up to now, it's good to see Asgard again after so long.' She replied.

'That is great to hear, with all you are being put through.' Another one, Nanna, cut in. Freyja glared at the goddess, but many in the group nodded and gave Sigyn the same odd look. The young Vanir just then recognized it for what it was. _Pity._

Sigyn felt anger bubble in her chest. She clenched her fists under the table, but did not let it show in her face. 'Put through?' She asked innocently. 'I have been enjoying the attentions of many new interesting people, and reuniting with family I had not seen in years. Lady Freyja has done me the honour of throwing a magnificent feast to celebrate my arrival. My stay has been nothing short of pleasurable and welcomed.' She finished, unable to keep the cold from seeping in her voice.

No one spoke, although a few lowered their eyes in shame. Hesitantly, they picked up another conversation. Sigyn suddenly felt fed up with hearing about half of Asgard's love lives. She looked at her empty cup sullenly and scanned the room for another drink-carrying servant.

'They did not mean bad.' The woman seated next to Sigyn turned and told her. Unlike the rest of the group her looks were too sharp to be considered pretty. She had dark hair and intense red eyes. Taller than most women, the Jotun that had earlier introduced herself as Gerd looked truly captivating.

Sigyn sighed. 'I know. But to be honest, spending time with Loki is a pleasant break, because he is the only one who is not going on about Loki. Or at least, when he does it is more amusing.'

Gerd laughed. 'Even now a lot of folk sees me as "Frey's bride" and nothing more. Being a Jotun does not help my case either. You do not draw attention to yourself, so it will take time, and even then not everyone will be able to see it. But there will be people who will see you for yourself and realize you are not to be pitied. And those are the people that will matter.'

Sigyn smiled.

'Let's drink to that then.' She said as a servant finally refilled her cup.

The two women continued chatting in lighter tones. Gerd filled Sigyn in about what events and people the others had been discussing, and Sigyn occasionally commented. The Jotun enjoyed her remarks and did not mind her silence for the rest of the time. Slowly the groups became more mixed, and the crowd only grew more rowdy as wine and mead flowed generously. At the far end of the room, a commotion resembling a fight was starting to take place. A circle of spectators was gathered, although what they were observing was hidden from view where the women sat.

'What's going on?' Sigyn asked.

Gerd shrugged, clearly unimpressed by the occurrence. A lot of the others also seemed uninterested, although some women sauntered over to the crowd of rowdy men. Sigyn's curiosity got the best of her. She got up and approached the scene. Before she could even see what was going on she heard a familiar voice from within the circle.

'I would like to see _you_ come out of that without at least five arrows sticking out of your ass.' Said Loki.

'That oaf was probably so slow he could not get a corpse a stone's throw away.' Frey retorted.

'That's still too fast for you.'

A bout of laughter erupted from the gathered audience.

'You are all empty talk. Bet you anything I could shoot you down before you even realized what was going on.' Frey boasted.

'A much better shot than you could not, in fact not even one of the best shots in Asgard!' insisted Loki. 'Want me to prove it?'

As he said that more ruckus broke out and the circle of spectators started widening, so Sigyn finally found herself in the front. Loki was leaning against a table, arms crossed, and a few feet from him stood Frey mirroring his position.

'Tyr, are you able to shoot?' Loki asked.

The old warrior that was sitting in a corner drinking in silence looked up at the Trickster confused. 'You are asking me to shoot you?' Came a flat gruff voice.

'A lifetime opportunity.' The Jotun confirmed.

Tyr weighed his options, and eventually got up from his table. He walked into the circle and someone handed him a plain crossbow. Sigyn stared wide eyed, as the two men positioned themselves going as far from each other as the space allowed. Loki actually turned his back at the Aesir and Tyr dropped his arms at his sides, crossbow clenched in his left hand.

'Ready when you are.' Loki chimed.

Tyr nodded, and the crowd began a countdown that set Sigyn's nerves on edge. Still, she could not tear her eyes from the scene.

… _Seven…six_ … _five… four…three… two…one…_

Everything happened in a blur of motion too fast for anyone to make out. One moment they were both still, waiting for the countdown to end. The next, Loki was facing the warrior, the short arrow secure in his right hand inches from his chest. Tyr had the now empty crossbow still level with his eyes. The crowd went deadly silent. Sigyn let out a breath she had not known she had been holding. She shuddered to notice the arrow would had hit Loki's heart, had he not turned around in time.

Loki seemed as stunned as everyone else for a moment. He blinked a few times and looked down at his hand, his face breaking into an exhilarated grin. The crowd broke out of its trance on cue, and they started cheering and shouting drunkenly. Loki made a mock little bow, and flicked the quarrel at Frey, who seemed as relieved as everyone in the crowd, if not more, for the outcome. The previously charged scene suddenly reduced to nothing more than a small performance. Tyr did not seem too disheartened at losing either. He shrugged and put the crossbow aside, if anything a little glad he did not kill someone. That would had ruined the mood, even if that someone had been Loki. He resumed drinking in his corner, even more quietly than before.

Soon, the crowd of spectators dissolved, a few still lingering around Loki, who seemed really unconcerned for someone who had just narrowly escaped death. Those also dispersed fast. Sigyn had not realised she had been staring, nor that she had proceeded to space out, grasping at what had just taken place. Not until it was brought to her attention.

'Staring is not very polite you know.'

Loki's voice startled her and she snapped her head up sharply, to find the Jotun regarding her with an unreadable expression.

'Y-You almost got yourself killed.' She stammered in response.

'Indeed, almost. Tough luck.'

'What is that supposed to mean?' Sigyn asked. Her concern was starting to get replaced by irritation.

'It means that it could have solved one of your biggest problems.' There was a hint of a slur in his voice.

'You think…I would never think like that! I don't have anything against you, I know none of this is your fault!' She snapped.

'It does not matter whose fault it is. I did not cause your problem, _I am_ your problem, and you would naturally wish it would be solved nice and easy like that.' He didn't even sound bitter. He sounded like someone trying to explain reason to a dumb little child.

Before Sigyn even got a chance to retort, he turned his back on her and walked away. She did not stop him, just stood there momentarily at a loss. Returning to the group of women felt quite unappealing at the moment, but so did sitting and drinking alone, like Tyr and some others did. Engaging with a new group of people was not even an option. Eventually, she decided she was no longer in the mood for celebrations in general, and she started to walk towards the exit.

Once outside, she realized that almost everyone in Asgard was gathered in Freyja's hall, making the streets, houses, and halls practically deserted. Not a soul was in sight. In other words, _it was_ , Sigyn thought, _the perfect time to explore this place._ She grinned, her anxiety blissfully dying down, and hurried –as much as she could in the highly impractical formal attire and shoes- towards her rooms.

* * *

'I thought you were getting along.' Hod's voice was treading the fine line between exasperation and hysteria. He had already broken out in hysterics when Loki had mentioned his little shooting game.

'We were. Or maybe not. It was different that time in the gardens. I don't know why I said those things tonight, it just happened. It is not my fault! I cannot help-'

'Valhalla, stop having a breakdown!' Hod interrupted Loki's rant. 'Every time you so much as talk to her, you panic, run away, and then come here to panic some more.'

'It is not the easiest situation to have something like that forced on me!' Loki protested.

'You have kept a better composure around people set to kill you, now you can't handle the one that is supposed to marry you?' The blind god demanded.

Loki nodded slightly. Of course he was sending subtle visual signals to a blind man, but he was too panicky to care. Hod could bet the Jotun currently looked every bit as pathetic as he sounded. In fact he almost felt bad for him. But mostly, he just regretted signing up for this in the first place. _Did I even sign up for it?_ He wondered.

'Last time I was somewhat scared for my life, so I went to make up for my blunder with formalities. And then conversation just happened…' Loki started.

'You know, this has no point if you aren't honest. I get it, it's not your thing, but if you want help stop trying to deceive both me and yourself.' Hod was losing patience, but he had had more than a lifetime to learn to hold on to the last dregs of it.

'Then, she looked so miserable, and I felt bad, and I remembered what you had said about her being scared, and I made a promise I cannot keep without causing a diplomatic catastrophe. But as a consequence we got to talk and it was actually not bad for a while…' He trailed off.

'I will be absolutely honest about this.' Hod warned. 'It seems that the reason she makes you so nervous is because you actually like her.'

Loki jumped out of his seat so abruptly he managed to knock over most of the surrounding chairs and hit the table at such a bad angle he doubled over in pain. He grunted a few colourful curses and staggered back, while Hod remained unblinkingly still and unimpressed.

'I don't mean in the way you'd like the one you want to marry.' Hod clarified 'Normally you would not care about any collateral damage, but she happens to be one of the few people you would actually befriend, had you two met under different circumstances. You want to hate her, but you can't. And you feel inclined to like her, but you don't want to.'

By the time the Aesir had finished, Loki was done with wrestling furniture. He was just as done with talking. He did not say anything in response, in fact he did not say anything at all. He merely stomped over to the door, and proceeded to walk out, slamming it hard enough behind him to make one of its –already abused, mostly by him- hinges fall off.

'See if I ever console your sorry ass again.' Hod grumbled without any conviction.

* * *

Sigyn had emerged back out of Odin's palace dressed in clothes much more fit for exploring. Wool pants and tunic, and a pair of comfortable worn boots. She had ran out on the street, feeling a childish sort of excitement. There were a lot of things she did not remember or know altogether about Asgard, and many things that had simply changed. Roaming the streets without any particular purpose gave her a feeling of freedom. She remembered how as a kid she was never allowed to go too far out in the city, and she made for the outskirts. As she went the landscape became less residential, gardens and groves dominating the scenery.

She kept walking, looking around and enjoying the stillness for as long as it lasted, until she came upon a grove that caught her attention. It was larger and most securely fenced than any she had come across. A tingle of magic tugged at her even as she was passing outside. She paused, curiosity piqued, and considered whether it would be considered trespassing to walk in. There was no one guarding it, and it was open to anyone passing by, so, she reasoned, there should be no reason she should not enter.

The moment she stepped into the grove the presence of magic became clear. It was strong, vital, and even someone with less sensing gift than Sigyn would be able to feel it. The trees around formed a strange variety, from apple and orange trees to large oaks and chestnuts, as if nature was trying to outdo itself. It was peaceful and ambient, more so than Frigga's gardens. She found herself wondering who it might belong to.

She heard the sound of running water and followed it. From within the trees, a little clearing came into view. A small fountain was in the centre of it, and next to it a single apple tree, just like every other one in the grove, only its fruit were an impossible shade of gold. Under the tree's branches on the fountain's ledge sat a young woman. She looked lonely, but at peace nevertheless, and Sigyn felt guilty for her presence all of a sudden.

 _I probably should not be here._ She thought, and her first reaction was to step back. But then again, the woman hardly looked threatening, and Sigyn could always leave if she was asked to. It was much nicer than sneaking away, since she had already trespassed. _Also,_ a small part of her brain supplied, _I did want to know to whom this place belongs to._

She stepped out of the trees onto the clearing, and the woman turned her head towards her, slightly surprised.

'Hello.' Sigyn greeted. 'I did not want to startle you, or to trespass. I thought it was alright to come in here.'

'Oh, it is alright.' The woman said, smiling sweetly. Even in the pale moonlight her complexion looked lively. She had bright blonde hair and big brown eyes that gave her face a childlike quality. Her smile was warm and contagious, and Sigyn found herself liking her immediately.

'I am Sigyn. I am sort of new around here.' She said.

'My name is Idunn, I'm happy to meet you. Do you want to sit down?' the woman offered.

Sigyn obliged and lowered herself at the base of the tree. She rested her back against the trunk and looked up to the other goddess.

'How come you are not in the feast?' asked Sigyn.

'I can leave this place, but it is better if I don't. It is quite alright though.' Idunn replied.

'Don't you get lonely?'

'Perhaps, sometimes.' The Aesir admitted. 'But not always. You are here now.'

'I came here pretty much by accident.' Said Sigyn, and at Idunn's crestfallen look she added. 'Of course from now on I can visit, if you'd like that.'

'I would love that.' The blonde said earnestly. 'Others visit me too, and I also go into the city sometimes. But everyone's got their thing to do. So I can't expect them to visit all the time.'

As if on cue, another figure emerged from the cluster of trees. A man, looking no older or younger than the two goddesses, pale hair tumbling down freely, unlike a warrior's that was either short or braided. He carried a harp and had what looked like a guitar strapped to his back. A set of pipes hung at his belt. Idunn's face lit up as she saw him and he beamed back at her.

'I managed to escape, finally.' He said, as he emerged on the clearing. It was only then that he seemed to notice Sigyn. He turned to her and introduced himself. 'I am Bragi.' He said still smiling.

'Sigyn. Pleased to meet you.' She responded. 'Are you a musician?'

'Honoured to meet you.' Said Bragi with a small curtsy 'And yes.'

'He plays and sings beautifully!' Idunn exclaimed.

'You are not the only one to believe so, I would had come to you sooner had I not been terribly occupied performing at the feast.' He said apologetically.

'You did not have to.' Idunn said, lowering her gaze. A hint of pink crept up her cheeks.

'I wanted to.' He smiled at her again. His whole face lit up every time he did.

Sigyn felt like she was intruding in something private.

'You two will be my little private audience for tonight.' Bragi announced cheerfully as he sat down between the two women, his back against the fountain.

He unstrapped the guitar from his back and set the harp aside. He made a quick sound check and tightened a few strings, and then he looked up at both women in turn. 'Any requests?' He asked.

Sigyn shook her head, and Idunn said 'Whatever you'd like.'

He started picking a simple pattern that got a bit more intricate after a while. From the first note Sigyn felt peculiarly drawn to the sound. It was a plain guitar, but at the god's hands the melody had an effect akin to magic. That effect only got stronger when he started singing. His voice was beautiful; not too deep and not too high, but utterly mesmerizing. The song was a ballad about two lovers whose tragic fate was to never be together. And through the music, Sigyn felt so much emotion it brought her close to tears. After the song had ended she was stunned, as if a spell had been suddenly broken. Idunn had actually teared up.

'Perhaps that was a bit too sad.' Bragi realised. 'Let me play something else to pick up the mood.'

And so, he continued playing; happy songs that filled one's soul with laughter, bittersweet songs about love, and calm peaceful tunes that made nature itself want to slow down and take a rest. After a particularly calming harp piece, Sigyn found herself dozing off against the tree trunk. She yawned and stretched before pushing herself up. She did not know how much time had passed, but she was starting to feel weary, and she felt inclined to leave the two have some time by themselves.

'This was lovely. I hope I get to hear you play again.' She told Bragi. She smiled at Idunn, and bid them both goodnight, before walking back into the trees and out of the grove. Her walk back through the city was not interrupted, but she met the occasional drunk god or goddess returning home early from the feast. Of course she had no doubt it would last till morning, and it was still pitch dark. She wondered whether her absence had been noted. She hoped Freyja, or anyone else for the matter, would not take it as a sign of ungratefulness and take offence. _Not much to do about it now._ She reasoned and shrugged it off. She could never handle those feasts quite well. She would find herself drained and missing bed earlier than most, and she would only sit it through out of obligation.

She hardly registered walking through the palace, she just realized at some point that she had gotten to her room. She changed into a nightgown and laid on the bed, strangely feeling less sleepy than when she had been sitting in Idunn's grove. She had really enjoyed Iddun's and Bragi's company, and on the whole her night had left her with a pleasant feeling. Her mind went to the feast, and the way Loki had talked to her, out of the blue. This behaviour of his puzzled her. One moment being perfectly friendly despite what everyone had told her about him, and the next lashing out or being all scornful. Still, it could not possibly ruin her night. What felt more worrisome to her, was in reality how Loki had disregarded his own life, first by endangering it, and then by considering his possible death a mere solution to Sigyn's problem.

 _Might need to do something about this mentality of his._ Was her last semi-coherent thought, then unconsciousness came, and she would never remember making it.


	3. Theft (The Lay of Thrym part 1)

**3\. Theft ( The Lay of Thrym part 1)**

After a great celebration in Asgard, the definition of "morning" would traditionally change to mean "past noon", as morning itself would be the time when its residents find themselves retiring from the celebration in various stages of consciousness. Even the very few souls that had not attended, or had retired early, seized the opportunity to sleep in and rest.

Loki had left the feast early, and after a quick visit to Hod he had retreated to his own house and spent the night in solitude. Solitude however did not amount to sobriety. In fact, it was arguable that the party goers would not wake up in a better state than him. What he did not expect was that the pounding that woke him up was not coming from inside his skull. Someone -or something- seemed to be trying to break down his door. He shuffled out of bed and searched for the clothes that he realized he had never taken off.

'Loki! Open up, or so help me!' Thor's angry yell initiated the headache Loki had been dreading.

 _What have I done to deserve this?_ Loki wondered vaguely, before rushing to the front door.

'Lokiii!' Thor continued his assault on the door.

'Will you stop that?' Loki yelled back, irritated.

He waited for Thor to stop and then swung the door open. The Thunderer had murder in his eyes, and he was accompanied by Tyr and Frey, both positioned to physically restrain him. But what worried Loki the most was that unlike most of the times, he truly had no idea as to what had brought this on.

'To what do I owe the pleasure?' The Trickster drawled, trying to look as disinterested as possible.

'You know damn well what! Give it back this instant!' Thor seemed, if anything, more incensed at Loki's innocent demeanour.

Loki sighed and rubbed his eyes in an effort to will the headache and haziness away. 'You need to be a little more specific than that.'

'Mjolnir!' Exclaimed Thor. 'I cannot find it anywhere. Someone has stolen it!'

'And why would "someone" instantly mean me?' Loki asked, more resigned than angry.

'You left early last night and no one has seen you since. And you always do foul things like that for fun. You-'

' _You_ are being especially stupid right now.' Loki cut him off.

He realized a second too late that it was the wrong thing to say. The only thing that kept him alive was probably the fact that Thor was stunned long enough for Tyr and Frey to effectively get a grip on his arms and hold him in place.

'What,' Loki snapped 'could I possibly want with your hammer? I can barely lift the thing, it's of no use to me. In fact, why would anyone in Asgard want to take it from you?'

To everyone's surprise, Loki's reasoning actually seemed to work. When Thor spoke again, it was a lot more subdued, even a bit embarrassed. 'Then who took it?'

'I would had already told you if I knew. I didn't even know it was missing.'

Tyr and Frey reluctantly relaxed their grips, but Thor showed no more signs of aggression towards the Jotun, although he still squinted suspiciously at him.

'Can you find out?'

Loki did not say anything for a moment. It was far from rare for him to be blamed for something without any evidence or specific reason, but it still angered him, especially coming from his friend.

'Since you ask so nicely.' He said bitterly, and sidestepped the three men out of his house, still in the previous night's dishevelled clothes.

* * *

Sigyn woke up late to find all the Aesir gathered in Odin's Hall. A tense atmosphere hung over them, an anticipation almost tangible in the air. She scanned the faces in the room, noticing the absence of a certain trickster with alarm.

Frigga, who was sitting by her husband, caught sight of the young Vanir and beckoned her close. Sigyn wondered whether her concern had showed on her face. She schooled her expression into something neutral and approached the older goddess. Before Sigyn could even ask, and skipping pleasantries, Frigga indulged the younger woman.

'It would seem we are paying dearly for last night's festivities. Or rather, your brother does.'

Sigyn's first reaction was to glance towards Balder, the first one among her half-brothers she could picture in a vulnerable position. But his expression showed no more concern than everyone else's. Then she noticed Thor, pacing restlessly up and down the aisle between two tables.

Frigga explained to her how Thor's hammer had gone missing, how he had accused Loki, and how the latter had traveled to Jotunheim, hoping to uncover the thief's identity.

'There are things we need to discuss, I hope he returns soon.' The seer mused aloud. 'Thor should never had been so rash, I wish Loki had consulted at least his brother before setting out.'

Sigyn wondered what could the goddess want to discuss with Loki, but she did not ask. She doubted Frigga would be willing to say any more on the matter than she already had. Instead, she sauntered off to a quiet corner and contemplated what she had just learned.

While it was evident that Asgard was undergoing a crisis of safety and defence –no one took lightly the asset that was Thor's magic weapon, even if the god was also formidable without it- Sigyn found her mind focusing on a different matter altogether. Loki would occupy her thoughts more and more recently, and not strictly because of the way he was bound to her. The more she got to know him, the less it felt like knowing him, and –although she did not like to admit- the more he captured her interest. But on the same time, while she could see why one would suspect him of wrongful behaviour, she also found herself angry and inclined to defend him against baseless accusations increasingly often.

Dusk had settled by the time Loki finally returned. Darting in through the window in the form of a small hawk, he returned to his normal aspect the moment he touched the floor. He was leaning down, bracing his hands against his thighs, and taking short shallow breaths. Magical artifact or not, flying long distances at such a high speed took its toll on him. He shrugged Freyja's falcon cloak off and handed it to its owner, who had been reluctant to part with it.

Loki ignored the buzzing crowd while he caught his breath, and then he straightened up and made his way to where Odin was seated. Thor immediately ran over to his side, and started questioning him. The Jotun held up his hands in a pacifying motion, and when everyone had calmed down and was gathered nearby, to ensure he would not have to explain things twice, he began.

'I hate to be the bearer of bad news.'

A murmur of disapproval and concern broke out.

'You do not know who has it?' Thor asked.

'No, that's not the case, in fact it was incredibly easy to find that out.' Loki responded.

'How 'bout you stop being cryptic and start explaining?' Heimdal -who had been thoroughly convinced that Loki was in fact to blame, and was still giving him nasty looks- demanded.

Loki, who had been thoroughly fed up with everyone's ungrateful and accusatory behaviour, as well as exhausted, and in a generally foul mood, found it hard to restrain his tongue.

'Alright Goldie, I confess. I was in dire need of a hammer, so I took Mjolnir and hid it in Jotunheim, to where I plan to flee forever and realize my long lost dream of becoming a blacksmith. I can say my arrangements have been going splendidly so fa-'

'By the Fates, Loki, this is not the time for petty bickering! Tell us what you've found!' It was Odin that interjected, with no small amount of impatience.

'Thrym, a king of the Jotnar, has stolen Mjolnir. He summoned me into his hall and told me himself the moment I arrived in Jotunheim, as if he had expected it. Which he had. He said he has it hidden deep underground. No magic of mine could detect it, so I doubt anyone else's could. He said he does not want it for himself, but he is willing to return it if he gets what he desires in exchange.' Loki finished, glancing at the faces of the gods and goddesses gathered.

'And what would that be?' Odin asked.

Loki sighed, bracing for the reaction he knew would come. 'Freyja to become his bride.'

As expected, the hall erupted in cries of outrage, Freyja's enraged shrieks of denial being the loudest. The amount of those directed at Loki himself were astounding. And when pleading the messenger's innocence did not work, he interjected how he had bought them time in order to come up with a solution.

'You did not say no?' Freyja said rounding on him. She had regained her composure, which made her seem all the more terrifying.

'And lose Mjolnir forever?' Thor interjected, before Loki had had a chance to speak.

Soon, the gathering descended into chaos. The gods ended up divided into two sides, the ones that wanted Freyja to comply with the demand to get the hammer back, and those who would not see her married to Thrym.

Loki felt grateful he was no longer in the center of this conflict. He stealthily detached himself from the crowd, before someone could drag him into the pointless argument. Odin, to his dismay, was actually engaged in the debate –on the side of those who did not want Freyja to accept- whether by choice or not, he could not tell. So instead, Loki approached the only two rational people that had also followed his tactic and were quietly talking by themselves on the side. As his luck would have it, the women in question were Frigga and Sigyn.

Both goddesses turned to him in acknowledgement as he approached, cutting their ongoing conversation short.

'You shouldn't had ran off like that.' Frigga stated.

'I am afraid I was left with little choice.' He replied.

Sigyn said nothing, but she observed the exchange.

'You have thought of a way to trick Thrym into giving Mjolnir back.' Frigga observed.

'Yes. And I see how a shapeshifter could have slipped into Asgard and stolen the hammer, considering the state in which most of us, including Thor and Heimdall, were in last night. What I do not understand is how Thrym managed to hide it completely. No small amount of strong magic is in that hammer. There must have been a third party involved, a magic wielder above Thrym's level.'

Frigga nodded in agreement.

'In order for my current plan to work' the Trickster continued 'or any plan really, we need to be able to locate it, in case something goes…awry.'

The Seer seemed to consider this.

'How dangerous is that plan of yours?' Sigyn interrupted.

Both Loki and Frigga turned to her, as if surprised to hear her talk.

'It is based on deception, not violence. Of course we will be walking right into enemy territory practically unarmed, and violence will eventually ensue. But Thor will be there, and have his weapon back by then. All in all, not the most dangerous thing we have pulled off. Why do you ask?'

'I can help with the concealment spells.' Sigyn replied.

Loki gave her a disbelieving look that caused a spark of anger rise in her chest.

Frigga, on the other hand, showed a mix of worry and stern disapproval. 'We cannot have you mindlessly running off to reckless quests. Thor and Loki do that enough for the rest of Asgard. Not that the remaining male population knows any better. Nor is it just the men, now that I think about it…' she trailed off for a moment, pinching the bridge of her nose in quiet exasperation.

'You have not even heard what the plan is!' Although her anger was not directed so much at Frigga, Sigyn's words still had an uncharacteristic strong tone. 'I am not asking for permission from anyone but those that are going.'

Frigga looked at Loki, silently demanding backup.

'You can really detect spells that even I could not?' Loki demanded of the younger goddess instead, earning him a livid glare from Frigga.

'I can probably break them.' She replied, levelling their gazes. Some part of her knew she was being reckless, profoundly so, but she could not help rising to the challenge. 'Odin says I am the best spellbreaker he knows, including himself and, I believe, you.'

Loki was taken aback by the sudden change in her attitude. Not certain how to feel about it, he smiled at her and nodded. 'Alright then. If you still want to join after you hear me out, you are welcome to.'

Sigyn looked at him in disbelief. She had not expected to actually be taken seriously. Frigga was visibly enraged at Loki's response. She asked Sigyn to go and pull Thor, Odin, and Freyja out of the argument in order for them to discuss their course of action in private, seeing how the open conversation was not leading anywhere. The younger woman happily obliged.

 _A small army of yelling Aesir seems much less intimidating than Frigga right about now._ Sigyn kept the thought to herself and hurried off.

The moment Sigyn was out of earshot, Frigga rounded on Loki. 'Are you trying to have her killed?' She hissed in accusation.

'I am trying to provide a fail-safe for my plan, while also actually giving her some credit, which apparently is something new around here.' Loki shot back. 'Thor will be there and so will I, and if she is as skilled with magic as she claims our protection might not even be so necessary.' He added in a calmer tone.

Frigga said nothing in response. She clenched her jaw and followed her husband and the others, heading for the throne room.

* * *

'There is no way I am doing something so dishonourable! I can take them all even without Mjolnir!' Thor thundered. It had taken a lot of patience to even let Loki finish speaking before he exploded in protest.

The expressions of the remaining gathered Gods and Goddesses varied from exasperated, to disbelieving, to openly amused. No one seemed as shaken as Thor himself.

'Fighting right off the start is out of the question, since we might not be able to recover the hammer.' Loki reminded him.

'Why don't you do it? You have no decency anyway!' The god of thunder grumbled.

It reminded Loki of a very large five year old child. He sighed and let the comment about decency slide.

'Thrym said he would only give it to Freyja herself during the wedding, no one else. And he forbid any men from accompanying her. You dress up as Freyja, or you find yourself a new magic hammer, because Hel I am not getting you another one!' The Trickster silently congratulated himself for his ability to say that with a serious face. The whole situation was more amusing to him than he could ever openly admit. Thor looked around at the people gathered desperately looking for support, to find none. No one doubted the necessity of Loki's measures, but they were still not convinced about the soundness of his plan.

'How could anyone think Thor in a dress is actually me?' Freyja demanded, the distaste dripping from her voice.

'Thrym is an Ice Jotun.' Loki said as if it was self-explanatory. 'Traditionally not the very clever type, certainly not in his case.' He elaborated after the confused looks he received. If Skadi –their resident Ice Jotun- was around she would be trying to disembowel him at this point, but that was always a possibility when they two were in the same room.

'What about his court?' Odin questioned.

'They are the ones that made him their king. They would take Thor's goat in a dress for Freyja.' Loki replied, ignoring Freyja's glare.

'I still don't think Sigyn should go with you.' Said Frigga.

'It is her choice to make.' Loki pointed out. 'I am fairly sure she will be safe, and helpful as well.' After Odin had confirmed Sigyn's claims concerning her powers, Loki actually felt safer bringing her along. Something he had decided not to openly voice.

'You are fairly sure? Why is that not reassuring at all?' Frigga started.

'I will go.' Sigyn said with a finality that put an end to Frigga and Loki's debate on the matter.

Thor was still struggling with the idea of wearing a dress. His face was a bright red mix of anger and embarrassment. Eventually, he muttered a half-hearted 'Alright. But only if you also wear women's clothes-'

'No men allowed.' Loki reminded him.

'-without changing your form.'

Loki considered this for about three entire seconds, before shrugging and saying: 'Let's get prepared then.'

* * *

Thrym had left the Aesir two fortnights for preparation, "as dictated by the Asgardian custom" as Loki had so helpfully pointed out to the giant. During which time, Loki, Sigyn, Freyja, Erika, and Roskva, along with a group of Freyja's servants, were tasked with turning Thor into the goddess of love and beauty. Within a day Loki's scheme had made the round of Asgard, even though no one was particularly keen on openly discussing it from fear of inducing the Thunderer's wrath. Even Sif refrained from interfering, knowing her husband would be mortified for her to see him in such a state -which did not stop her from having a peek at some point, it was too great an opportunity to miss. So, the entire operation took place in Freyja's hall in relevant privacy.

Loki did most of the planning alone, coordinating everyone else in the process. His chipper attitude about it made him look more like someone organizing a partyrather than a dangerous mission in enemy territory. Or perhaps an actual wedding.

A wedding gown had to be made specifically to fit Thor. The various fittings Thor had to do amused Loki greatly, but it had been concluded that Thor trying to strangle Loki was not helping the process, so Loki avoided being there at those times. He set instead to arrange transportation, seeing how they could not borrow Freyja's chariot; her cats would simply not allow anyone else but her to hold the reigns. As well as fine tune the details of their final plan. Once the gown had been made and all that was left were the finishing touches, however, it was impossible to keep Loki out of it any longer.

He walked into the dressing room, braced not to laugh at the sight. As he took Thor's form in, however, he felt more worried than amused. As it was, even with a dress fitted for his frame the result was simply terrible. The attempt to fill the dress's bust with pieces of cloth in order to make it resemble breasts had resulted in two unnatural looking lumps. Furthermore, even ignoring the body shape Thor's face contrasted any image they had been trying to build with the dress. His expression was the only pleasant thing to Loki, as he had never seen the Thunderer look so mortified and deflated before.

'Don't you dare laugh!' Thor warned through gritted teeth.

'I was not going to.' Loki sighed. He saw that everyone else's expression matched his own; disappointment and worry, as the deadlines drew nearer.

'Some really urgent changes need to be made, so I think I can no longer be absent for the outfitting process if we want to be ready on time.'

'So now you know more than us about looking like a woman?' Freyja huffed. She had been antagonizing him more than usual ever since he had introduced this particular plan.

'The issue with Thor is that he is not in fact a woman. And I do know a lot more about disguises.' Loki retorted.

'So,' Loki turned to Thor with a mischievous smile 'let's turn you into the prettiest bride.'

Thor merely made a half-hearted threat, and let his head drop with a resigned sigh.

Two days before the deadline –which was the longest the trip could take with the coach that Loki had ended up hiring- they were finally ready. Loki's improvements to Thor's bridal look had been vital. He had even convinced Freyja to lend some of her actual jewellery to the god, including her prized necklace. But the actual feat had been convincing Thor to shave his beard. A colossal argument had taken place, with Loki prevailing with his sharp wit and everyone else on his side. Even after having him shave, they had decided to add a second veil over the first one for good measure.

They had also discussed their plan of action at length. Assuming there were no complications, Thor would have to play the part of the bride, with Loki, disguised as a bridesmaid there to do most of the talking and keep the ruse going. Sigyn, in the part of another bridesmaid, would stick close to the two men and use her magic to search for the hammer. Hopefully Thrym would not go back on his word, and as soon as Thor got Mjolnir back he would be able to handle the battle by himself, with Loki and Sigyn retreating to safety. If the king decided to go back on his promise, it would be up to Sigyn. Everyone hoped it would not come down to that option. Even deception was pretty straightforward and safe compared to dealing with unknown magic.

They all stood gathered at the northern gate, where the coach was already waiting for them. Thor and Loki in full disguise, which bothered Thor a lot but did not seem to unnerve the latter. Sigyn had tried to maintain as plain an image as possible, since she was the only actual woman out of the three, and certainly looked the best in a dress.

 _Loki does not look terrible as a woman either._ She had thought when he had at first showed up in disguise. An involuntary thought that she chose not to ponder on. Obviously he had thought as much himself, in the end he had decided to tone it down and make himself look more masculine. An actual woman and an impressively good disguise would not be good for their plan next to Thor in a dress, even the improved version.

They mounted their carriage, and Freyja bid them good luck. Everything was set, and as long as it all went according to plan, they could be home in less than five days.

 _But when did it ever all go according to plan?_

* * *

Like any other destination, Jotunheim could be reached from Asgard via the Bifrost Bridge. Travelling from and to Vanaheim, Sigyn had grown accustomed to the stretch of iridescent stone that sloped upwards, from the surrounding woodlands towards the floating city. While in touch and sturdiness it had an undoubted stone quality, in appearance it resembled crystal, a multitude of colours dancing on its surface. From afar, it looked like a solidified rainbow-hence the name "Rainbow Bridge" - or many of them, more accurately.

Only one time the Bridge had seemed different than all the others that Sigyn had laid eyes on it. She had been a child, sending off her father to Midgard. Then the horizontal stretch had appeared a lot longer before it dipped down towards the ground, and the trees below had been obscured by the mist that always clung at the edges of the floating isle. She had assumed the mist was just thicker that day, and along with the strong magic that she could feel surrounding the structure, it played tricks on the eyes. It had been fascinating all the same, and one day she knew when her knowledge of magic was adequate she would learn more about it. She had patience enough to leave questions hanging until the day they could be sufficiently answered. It was better than half answers that would rouse more nagging questions. And in any case, she had had plenty of other curiosities to explore at the time.

Even though it had been mere days since she had travelled into Asgard and crossed the bridge, she still felt a small excitement akin to that of her childhood years as they approached it. At the point where she knew the Bridge would be visible from the road, Sigyn peered around the driver's and Thor's broad shoulders into the road ahead. The shape of it was visible, but something seemed off. As the horses sped up closer, she could make out what: _Everything._ It still looked like a bridge, but the iridescent material was replaced by dark stone. When they got even closer, she felt a cold wind blowing from its direction. The bridge seemed to stretch straight ahead instead of sloping downwards, as far as it was visible. Thick mist seemed to envelop it ahead, which stirred an uneasy feeling.

They stopped at the edge of the bridge. A few paces ahead, the remnants of snow were gathered on the floor and the thick stone walling on each side of the wide structure. Snow that had never fallen in Asgard, or the woods below, as far as she knew. She blinked in confusion for some drawn out moments. This could not be right. She knew an immense amount of magic was required to build and hold the structure together. It still remained there, its presence as strong and potent as anything she had ever felt. And yet no magic could change matter in that way, even more so by itself. It had to be some sort of illusion. _But for what purpose?_

No one else from the company seemed disconcerted. Even her brother, the warrior, seemed more informed in this matter of magic than herself. That frustrated Sigyn, in a way she had rarely experienced. She turned and saw Loki observing her quietly, but not discreetly. He had no doubt noticed her puzzlement.

'It looks different.' She uttered. 'Like…'

'Jotunheim.' Loki confirmed.

'An illusion?' she guessed.

'Mostly, although I think some of the cold actually finds its way here.'

'Wait…How? How does that form of travel even work?'

It had seemed pretty straightforward when they crossed to Vanaheim, she had always assumed going to Jotunheim would mean descending to the woodlands and then merely taking a different direction. The sight before her however presented a completely different suggestion.

'Well,' Loki said 'let's take it from the beginning.' Thor was on the back checking their supplies and the driver was inspecting the carriage itself, so they were seated alone inside. 'Before the bridge was built, there wasn't one way from one realm to another. There were many, but not anyone could find them. Traveling between realms was like following a string that you had to find first, and to do that, you had to be gifted with the kind of inherent magic that was the same that connected the worlds. The kind of magic the people of Jotunheim were born with. The bridge is all those little strings woven together, all the strands of power that acted as small bridges now gathered in one huge structure. So now, one no longer needs to be gifted with any magic to be able to cross. But the opposite is also true, it is no longer possible to travel across realms without it. Well…almost. I can for example use Freyja's cloak to fly across without needing the bridge, and I am sure other ways also exist. Little residual strands still left.

'But on the whole, the Aesir that used to be almost exclusively unable to cross between the realms now command the only means of doing so.' Loki explained. Thor and the driver had returned to their seats in the front and they were now setting off.

'So the bridge is not helped by magic, but entirely made by it, and that is how it can exist in many places at the same time?' Sigyn asked, still unclear.

'It is not that it exists in many places at the same time. It exists in Asgard, only, but it leads to many different places. Imagine a room with many doors. Each door leads to a different side room, but to go to a different room you always have to return to the first one and pick another door.'

She nodded thoughtfully. She contemplated the magical workings that made this a possibility for a long time, but her information was simply not enough. Then a completely different thought struck her. The way Loki had talked about it, it sounded like he had actually been there at the time. It only made her realize how old he was, despite his appearance. She was born a long time after both Asgard the Bridge had been built, and she was herself many hundreds years old.

'But Odin…my father must have been travelling the worlds before that. That would be how he met you, right?'

Loki nodded. 'He was gifted. Something not so usual among the Aesir back in the day, especially the men. They all have their magic of course, but even nowadays the skill and will to use it remains unexploited…such a waste. But yes, that is how he acquired the power and knowledge he has today.' He agreed. 'And me.'

She looked at him expectantly, obviously intrigued.

'This is a long story that I can tell you some other time.'

Sigyn huffed in disappointment. It was somewhat theatrical – call it a side effect rubbing off from her conversation partner. He smiled, which only served to annoy her further.

'What is so amusing?' she asked in slightly mock severity.

'Nothing.' He replied, schooling his face into a serious expression, and somehow managing to still look very much amused. She rolled her eyes and looked away, muttering something that sounded a lot like "nothing my…."

The road was long, dull, and now also silent. Loki did not really like that.

'Someone's woken up on the wrong side of the bed.' He remarked after a few silent moments. _Rise up to it,_ he thought.

'Bold statement from the guy in a dress.' She made a show of giving him a view-over. 'And not even a nice dress…At least it comes with a matching shawl.'

Silence hung in the air again for a few seconds. No one had expected to hear the teasing in her voice that could match Loki's own. She enjoyed the reaction of their small group, much more than she would had a whole crowd's. She glanced at Loki and his unreadable expression. By now she had come to the conclusion that if you could read something in his expression it was most likely what he wanted you to, for whatever purpose. She also had concluded that a closed off expression could be read as few things. At the moment, it must had been surprise. He probably was as stunned as Thor, even for a few seconds.

'Lavender is really not my colour after all.' He finally said.

 _Of course he would not be offended. He had not had an issue with feminine clothing in the first place, like Thor did. Or was he actually offended and merely hid it?_ It was hard to tell.

Thor turned abruptly backwards facing Loki, puzzlement written plainly in his face. He knew Loki almost as well as one could, after all.

'You don't think so?' Loki inquired.

'It is not like you to not retort to a quip.' Thor stated the obvious.

'It is not like you to follow that line of fashion. I must say, it is bold but elegant, just the thing for your wedding night. You only get to be a bride once after all.'

Sigyn suppressed an undignified snort in the last second; she had thought the joke on Thor's expense would grow old, but somehow it was only getting funnier, and Loki had not exploited that chance nearly as much as everyone had thought up to now.

The driver beside Thor, a burly man of few words that had introduced himself as Gunnar, was also putting a heroic effort into keeping a straight –even mildly disapproving- face. It was faltering, and the poor man would probably not make it if the entire trip went that way. Thor had turned again to glare at Loki, in a way that one would look at the foe they were about to strike down mid-battle. Loki seemed amused by it, he gave Thor an infuriating half smile, the one that Thor hated. _The one that everyone hated._

'After Thrym you are the next I will kill. I would just prefer to have Mjolnir back –not to use it on you, that would make it too quick- just so I can be at ease and properly enjoy myself.' Thor said darkly.

'And Jotunheim is just the place for murder too!' Loki exclaimed pleasantly 'Whatever happens in Jotunheim stays in Jotunheim, and so on…'

'It is not murder, it is a service to all the nine worlds.' Thor disagreed, most of the initial threat gone from his voice.

The driver gave them a quick glance and then caught Sigyn's eyes, clearly shaken. She shrugged and gave him an uncertain smile that said _"_ This is _probably_ normal."

There had been really murder in Thor's eyes for a moment, and Loki was either too reckless or too used to getting away with much more than anyone, to take it lightly. Or both. _Probably both._

'So' Sigyn attempted at a different conversation 'about that bridge…'

They were still on it, and it seemed to extend further on yet.

'What do you want to know?' Loki indulged her.

'Everything.' Came the quick reply.

Loki groaned. 'Then you will have to ask Odin, since you share his fascination with the boring rules and details of magic.'

'Boring…How can you ever be good at magic if you find its fundamentals boring?' She demanded.

'I just could always do it, the kind that needs no spell or incantation. Certainly the kind that cannot be bound by rules as it is chaotic in its very nature. And spells have always been easy too. Show me how it is done once and I do it. Even if you do not show me I can probably figure it out.'

Sigyn rolled her eyes. She had never liked that kind of attitude, and it was unfortunate that it was actually talented people that displayed it.

'Hey, at the end of the day I will not spend less energy than you when it comes to practically doing it.' Loki said.

'No in fact you will spend a lot more because you don't care to learn the principles that help you to minimize the amount of wasted energy.'

He shrugged. 'It is still easy.'

'Don't you want to improve?'

'Do you think I need to? I don't see how you could judge that.' he retorted in mild annoyance.

Sigyn crossed her arms over her chest and shrunk away, frowning.

 _Now that is childish…_ Loki began thinking, looking at her from the corner of his eye-

'Wait, are you…shivering?' He asked. Upon further inspection she was starting to get slightly purple around the lips. He had not noticed it himself, but the further they went from Asgard the more the temperature dropped. She nodded, openly chattering now. She was in a dress that was alright for autumn in Asgard, but not even summer in Jotunheim, at least for a Vanir.

'Did you bring a coat, or a cloak?' He asked. 'Or both, preferably?' he added as he noted how she was losing colour, where she had been red in the cheeks a while ago from the cold. She shook her head.

'I forgot. No one else was packing one and we were too preoccupied with dressing the bride.' She said defensively, pointing a thumb at her half-brother as if attempting to place the blame on him.

Thor could not even find it in him to glare, she looked that bad. He himself did not seem any more bothered by the cold than Loki was –whether it was from being part Jotun or just too buff to feel cold, one could only guess- and Gunnar had been wearing a worn out coat from the start of their journey.

Loki sighed and draped the shawl that was hanging useless at his shoulders over her. It offered a little shielding from the wind but not much warmth. He got up and slid back into the luggage space of the carriage, then remerged a moment later with a heavy fur lined cloak, many sizes big for him. On Sigyn it truly looked like it was made for a giant –a literal one, not Loki's variety- but it helped her stop shaking. Warmth was not easily returning to her body, but it also stopped escaping it.

'Better?' Thor asked from the front. Apparently he had grown concerned. Even the driver spared an anxious glance at the goddess.

'Much better.' She reassured. 'Whose is this?' She gestured at the cloak. It was finely made as well as large.

'A gift for Thrym's sister. But I am sure no one will notice if it is a bit worn.' Loki replied. 'Why are you still purple?'

Sigyn did not expect the question. In retrospect, Loki realized, the phrasing had sounded silly and absolutely crass. But the cold was supposed to be subsiding. She did not reply. Loki was starting to regret bringing her along. He did not know how someone who could not even stand a little breeze would fare against a whole keep full of the people that were cold personified. They could see the end of the bridge in the distance, and ahead of that looming forests of pines and firs. Hopefully the trees would cut the wind off, but as they were further in the mainland it sure was not going to get any warmer.

Lost under the large garment, only her head poking out, Sigyn almost looked like a child. At least just as vulnerable. _What was I thinking?_ Loki wondered in frustration.

'Won't be much use if you freeze to death.' He finally said. 'And Frigga will kill me.' He grumbled.

'She won't get a chance to.' Thor interjected from the front seat, as if somehow that was Loki's fault.

Loki sighed. He tugged at the edge of the cloak that Sigyn was holding tight around her midriff. 'I will need to get under there to warm you without burning it.' He said. 'Is that alright?'

It was a puzzling request, voiced in a somewhat dubious way too, but Sigyn nodded an affirmative and let go of one edge of the cloak. Loki inched closer and draped it over his shoulder. Shoulders and sides barely touching, they both fit easily under it- its width even more oversized than its length. She felt cold to the touch even over the long sleeved wool dress, Loki noticed. He turned his focus inwardly, and let his own body's warmth –that was a lot more than that of a Vanir's or Aesir's, or most of the races of the nine worlds really- escape into the air around him. Presently that only included the insulated space inside of the cloak. As he did so he finally felt the cold stinging on his exposed face, it was a strange feeling, close to hypothermia for him. Sigyn felt heat return in her body in rapid rhythm. Soon the inside of the cloak felt as warm as a fire lit hall.

'You are doing this?' She asked in awe.

Loki nodded.

'How?'

'By freezing.' He replied coldly.

She did not ask more, and resolved into staring ahead to the road. They were under the trees now, the road barely large enough for two carriages side by side. Ever since they set foot on the bridge there had been no direct sunlight. Just the kind of grey light that came from behind clouds, so it had been hard to tell how much time had passed. But now dusk was falling quickly, and soon it would be night and they would have to stop.

* * *

 **A/N: Ok so this ends in a terribly abrupt way, I am entirely not happy with, but I had to split what I had intended to be one chapter into two huge-ass chapters to fit all the useless bickering I am so prone to writing. What can I say, I like useless bickering. Also oops, not any real action after all, but hey I said "things happen" not "action happens". The whole Thrym affair is a "thing". Incorporating stories of myth canon into my own storyline is also a thing, you will see what I mean in part 2 (which is totally coming up).**


	4. The Wedding (The Lay of Thrym part 2)

**4\. The wedding (The Lay of Thrym part 2)**

Up until they finally stopped- after it had gone completely dark and even the two little lanterns that hung on the front of the carriage did not offer enough visibility- Sigyn had sat awkwardly with Loki under the cloak. He had been doing the exact same job a furnace would, down to the not talking and responding to external stimuli part, with small intervals in the heat outpour in order to build up some energy. The physical proximity had put off any mood for chatting for the both of them really quick, and soon it had become unpleasant, at least to her. The way it had become unpleasant was how pleasant it was; _many things beat hypothermia, so it is hardly a surprise,_ she kept in mind. Still something about being comfortable made her feel uncomfortable. She was not one that so easily got comfortable, threat of freezing to death or no.

Loki had resigned to turning to his own thoughts after a while, fearing that the arguing he tended to initiate would not help with their mission. He also had things to consider still about what lay ahead. One of them was the questionable competence of the woman that was seated just beside him. Really _just_ beside him.

The Trickster was not scared of getting physical. It was actually quite his thing. But sitting under a single oversized cloak with a woman that was –from what he had picked up- pretty much repulsed by this closeness, did not exactly fall into the category. Let alone wasting his energy into providing heat. It had been merely a day's easy travel and yet he felt worn out as if he had covered it on foot.

When the carriage pulled into a clearing way off the road and they stopped, the young goddess was the first to leap out from under their shared cover, with easy energy. _The one I have been draining myself from all day._ Loki thought bitterly.

'We are setting up camp here?' She asked, almost chipper. It annoyed Loki.

'Yes.' Thor confirmed.

Without another word, she dismounted the carriage and walked over to the edge of the small clearing. She inspected the space for a moment, and then she returned to the back of the carriage and rummaged the luggage space. She emerged in the front carrying what resembled a walking stick.

'Oh, no coat, but you remembered to bring _that._ ' Loki grumbled, discarding the cloak and walking over to the back himself. Sigyn ignored him.

She went to the edge again and dug the end of the stick shallowly into the dirt. It was hard packed but damp enough. She muttered something under her breath and a line of runes, carved into the wood, started shining a bright blue. She continued her incantation and walked around the camping space, carving an approximate circle in the ground. The moment it closed, it also shone brightly, and for a moment a series of runes flashed in its perimeter. Sigyn stopped and walked around, inspecting her work. Loki had stopped what he was doing to observe her. He realized what it was she was doing –a protective circle was useful, even if they were invited to the realm by one of its kings- but not the way she did it. He never saw her carve the runes, which was admittedly tedious work, and still they had flashed, and after a closer inspection they also had been carved on the perimeter. He loathed to admit it, but he had been momentarily impressed and he could not work out for sure how that was done.

As the circle closed, the cold wind stopped abruptly as if they had entered a building.

'Here. Nice, though not exactly warm.' The goddess announced. She approached Thor, sidestepping Loki who was crouched over a pile of dry wood in the middle of the clearing, not really doing anything with it. He was no closer to building a fire than he had been ten minutes ago. Thor turned from the horse he was tending to.

'Does Loki work in open spaces too?' She asked. There was no malicious, or even mischievous intent there, just a plain old blunder. She winced the moment the unfortunate phrasing left her lips. Loki bristled at the suggestion and shot up protesting.

'I am not a heater, and I have already wasted tons of energy acting as one!'

'I am so sorry, I meant your magic!' She said urgently. It was met with a glare.

She looked down, and Loki stalked off, beyond the protections of the circle. Then he walked back in because he had not packed a coat either, and he had already lost too much heat to have his usual immunity to the elements. He cursed under his breath, and made no attempt to build the fire like he was supposed to. Thor did that, and Sigyn spared him the effort of igniting it with little sparkles of electricity –they had also neglected bringing flint along, which was rendered useless with Loki around- that the Thunderer was really bad at controlling, especially without Mjolnir.

Soon they had a large fire going and they all gathered around it. Even Loki begrudgingly inched closer and closer, hardly able to resist a fire. As Loki was too busy brooding –which puzzled Sigyn, while Thor was simply used to not making sense of Loki - it was Thor who took it upon himself to fill the silence. His storytelling was nowhere near as captivating and masterful as Loki's, but there was a rough honesty to it that made it pleasant in its amateurish way. She listened intently, while Gunnar got a broth going over the fire. Loki sat the furthest away from them and was lost in thought. _Some mood swings he has._ Sigyn had thought absently on the matter. She figured it was the kind of thing she was supposed to ignore. But sooner or later she would be brought in a position where ignoring it would mean tolerating it. For the moment they had more pressing concerns, thankfully. Out of all the Jotuns, hostile and not, she figured the most troublesome might very well be the one part of their little delegation.

After eating they did not linger for long. They dimmed the fire to embers and spread bedrolls close to the hearth. Thor had grumbled about how hard it was to sleep in the dress, to which Loki had pointed out it would be too risky to travel without their disguises. After that silence fell.

* * *

Sigyn awoke, to her surprise, to Thor gently –not Thor's strong point, but the fact that it took him several tries meant he had probably succeeded- shaking her awake. She sat up and blearily looked around while trying to blink sleep away. They were the only ones up, and if she had to judge by Thor's caution, he intended them to stay that way.

'What is it?' she whispered.

'I wanted to talk with you.' He whispered back and then stood up, offering her a hand. He pulled her up like she weighed nothing and directed them at the edge of the protective circle. Inside all the heat from the fire had preserved better than it would had in solid concrete, but outside it would undoubtedly be chilling.

'Wait.' She said, and silently went to retrieve her rune stick. She pulled her brother to the furthest side of the circle from where Loki was, seemingly asleep, and swiftly drew a smaller one around them. This time she also carved the shapes of runes in its perimeter. The spell sealed off with a flash, and she turned back to Thor.

'What is it?' She asked loudly. Thor flinched and then realized what the purpose of the second enchantment was. He followed Sigyn's example and turned his body and face away from the camp, just in case.

'How are you?' He asked. There was some uncertainty, from his voice to his posture. This kind of talk was not his thing any more than sneaking around or controlling magic was.

'Fine. A bit stiff, preparing to get unpleasantly cold soon, and about to walk into an Ice Jotun's castle to steal back a stolen weapon. But, fine.' She smiled at him, in what she hoped was a reassuring manner.

'Loki has been acting strange- stranger anyway- lately, with you. Did anything happen?' He questioned.

'Have you not been paying attention the last few days?' She said dryly. His face fell a little and she regretted her tone.

'Is he not always like that?' She asked.

'Volatile, erratic, infuriating and all around nonsensical?' He asked with a grin. Sigyn smiled back.

'But he only has gotten worse ever since you got here. In a way, he is not acting like himself, he can usually exert some more self-control than this.'

'I am not acting entirely like myself either, we were thrown into quite a situation, both me and him.' She mused.

She felt some relief to hear that this behaviour on Loki's side was not the norm. It meant that there was a good chance it would stop at some point, and he would make a tiny bit of sense. _Maybe. Hopefully…_

Then Thor's expression turned dead serious. 'I don't really make true of my threats to him most of the time.' He admitted. 'But if he crosses any lines with you, there will not even be any threats.'

She believed him, and somehow it made her feel more anxious than safe right then.

'I don't believe he would ever physically hurt you.' Thor tried to reassure her. 'But he always pushes the boundaries of people, and he can hurt them in other ways. If anything like that ever happens you should come to me, and I don't care what father and your mother have planned, you won't have to spend another second anywhere near Loki. Or what's left of him anyway.'

She hoped the last part was in jest, but smiled at him nevertheless. Thor, she had already noticed, was protective of those he cared about, and that included Loki. She was surprised to find it also included her. 'Thank you.'

'I would had already protested, but when you are not arguing and running off you actually get along almost eerily well.' Thor commented.

She looked at him, surprised at the acute observation. Her half-brother was not one for subtle social hints. So for him to notice, it meant that it was probably something glaringly obvious.

'Do we now?' She muttered to herself and broke the circle.

After a quick cold breakfast they were back on the road. This time, not having suffered the cold, the cloak alone was sufficient for Sigyn. She was not as comfortable as she had been the previous day, but nowhere near freezing. Perhaps due to not having to act as a furnace any longer, Loki's attitude became increasingly civil as the day wore on. He made some talk with her, as if nothing had been amiss, and generally contributed to filling the silence. As midday passed, it became obvious – at least to Loki who had covered the same distance before- that they would be arriving around nightfall. He reminded everyone how their plan was supposed to unfold, and covered additional details and changes he had thought about on the road.

The sun had not fully disappeared behind the trees when Thrym's palace came into view. It was plain, stone and massive, nothing in appearance like the intricate designs Halls had in Asgard and Vanaheim. _Then again,_ Sigyn mused, _when you have to keep that cold out, you barely have space for aesthetic in the design._

It seemed dark and foreboding, a castle-fort more than a palace, and as they approached, Sigyn felt the full weight of what they would be attempting for the first time. It came along with a tinge of panic, which should not spread by any means. She concentrated on her breathing and looked around. The rest of the company had also grown grim, but not scared. _Resolute, focused._ She realized. Thor for one seemed to be itching for a fight, his whole anxiety and humiliation of the past days directed now to those holed inside the imposing structure that loomed ahead. Loki had a more tame expression, though focused nonetheless. That of a chess player. He was after all the one who set all the little pieces in motion in the end, the one on whom this whole operation relied on more greatly. Not that anyone had space for a mistake at this point. Sigyn ran their plan over in her head. It seemed good, as good as it could get, if a little unorthodox. _One day it will be one of those stories that make you laugh, rather than grip your seat in fear._ She figured, and that alone was comforting.

'Remember what to say at the front gate?' Loki asked Thor.

'Don't worry, I can lie that much.'

Loki did not look convinced. But it had to do. Silence followed after that, as the front gates loomed closer. The path had sloped upwards a while ago, and their ascent only got steeper. Whatever Loki had said about the Intelligence of the Ice Jotuns, the location of this fort was certainly smart. _Just imagine trying to storm that castle with foot soldiers. All it would take to defend would be to push them off the narrow winding paths._ Sigyn instinctively looked down at the thought, and she felt nauseous. If they got found out by the guards at the gates, all it would take was a push. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to chase that thought away. She opened them again when she felt Loki's warm palm against her hand.

'Don't look down.' He said quietly 'And don't worry.' He continued in a soothing voice.

Suddenly he was sounding all sympathetic again, _probably forced to, because of the situation,_ she was quick to dismiss any other alternative. It still helped her.

'You have to trust me on this, it is kind of my thing after all. We'll be in and out before you know it.'

 _Trust._ It was easier said than done, especially with him of all people. He was not showing any signs of trust, or that he could actually be trusted himself. Yet he expected it, now of all times.

'And you have to trust me.' She gathered the courage to say after a few seconds. 'Even if that is less your thing.' She turned to look him in the eyes, her previously scared expression resolute. He held her gaze for a moment and then he nodded.

The next second, the coach halted a few paces from the huge wooden doors. Two guards, both male, massive in built –both towering over Thor, who towered over pretty much anyone in Asgard- clambered down from the outposts positioned on the outside of the gates. Two more remained in the outposts, one in each. They approached the carriage warily, expecting Freyja's Chariot. Loki smiled a little, hidden behind the two men in the front. He appeared relieved instead of alarmed, unlike Sigyn who felt intimidated by the sheer size of the guards, and certainly by the size of the battle axes that were strapped on their backs.

'In my general experience, even though it is not a rule,' Loki leaned in and whispered 'when you want to deceive someone in Jotunheim, better wish for them to be a man, the bigger the better.'

'What is this?' the larger one of the two drawled stupidly. His tan skin was exposed in many places despite the cold and his face looked rough even though beardless. Pale hair whipped around in the wind. The giant's armour was sturdy, even though there was no intricate craftsmanship involved, and upon closer inspection Sigyn noted the axe was approximately her size, and probably heavier than her.

The guards had been notified about Lady Freyja's arrival, but this was not what they had expected. The smaller one of the two, short haired, looking younger and less ugly, but sharing a similar complexion with the first, eyed the horses dubiously.

 _Probably trying to tell if they are cats._ Loki thought to himself in amusement.

Thor spoke up, attempting to make his pitch as high as possible, even though compared to the deep rumble that was the giant's voice even his natural voice sounded feminine. 'A carriage was necessary to get both my servants and the gifts I bring for your Lord.'

The two Jotuns seemed to process the information. It was good enough for them, and the gates swung open inwards.

'You go on foot from here.' The shorter one warned. 'And he stays out.' He pointed at Gunnar.

'As soon as you unload everything, he is set to return.' Thor tried to assure.

Loki found it almost hard to take the unfolding scene seriously. It looked utterly ridiculous to him, and yet judging by how so smoothly everything went, Thor was actually delivering. Thor dismounted, somewhat gracelessly, but after observing the Jotuns' movements,Thor's lack of grace was hardly alarming. Loki and Sigyn followed, heads kept low, trying to avoid any attention.

The doors parted fully to reveal the king himself standing on the other side. He was even bigger than the two that had greeted them on the gates. Braided long hair hanging all the way to his shoulder blades, he looked imposing even in his lack of armour. Unlike the others they had seen he sported a short beard, also braided. Instead of an axe, a massive sword hung from his belt, which was ornate and decorated with gold, like much of his formal clothing.

The three Asgardians all looked up at him in awe, each following a different stream of thought. Thor thought the giant would pay for his theft and the humiliation he had to undergo. Sigyn thought about how it was hard to picture even Thor holding his own against the massive king in a fight. Loki thought about the logistics of him and the actual Freyja attempting to have children. He shuddered and decided not to think about it ever again. Then he remembered they were at perhaps the most crucial part of his plan, since Thor had to be convincing without any assistance.

They froze, unsure of how to proceed. Then the king took a step forward, which covered all the distance between them and made the ground itself vibrate.

'Lady Freyja!' He boomed happily. 'Your beauty truly exceeds your reputation.' He knelt in front of Thor and extended his hand. The Aesir looked at him dumbfounded for a moment and then placed his hand in Thrym's. The king placed a quick kiss on it and then got back up. Sigyn could not believe how easy this was. Even if Thor's beauty exceeded Freyja's by Jotunheim standards, there was no possible way to tell behind the two veils. She had yet to see any of the women, but she could not believe that broad shoulders and an ample –but covered- bosom was all it took to be declared a goddess of beauty. Loki shuffled closer to Thor and silently nudged him, as the Aesir was standing there in mild shock not saying anything.

'My Lord.' He gritted out almost painfully. 'You are too kind. Your majesty is also beyond anything I have heard, mere words can't do you justice. I cannot wait until we finally get married, but now- '

'I could not wait either!' He cut Thor off. 'That is why I thought we should not have to wait until tomorrow! Surely your trip should not have been too exhausting, especially since you hired a coach. Let's get married now!'

'Uuuh…Now? Right now?' Thor stammered, urgently tugging at Loki behind his back. The Trickster gave him a sharp nudge in response.

'Play along.' Loki whispered.

'Of course, a magnificent idea!' Thor said half-heartedly, and followed the Jotun into the fort.

'Loki.' Sigyn whispered tugging at his hand. He turned towards her and leaned closer.

'We have no weapons. And we have no escape route.' She said. Their plan had included both stashing their own weapons and doing a little reckoning mission the night before the wedding.

'We don't have an escape route.' He agreed, calmly. By then she had his arm in a death-grip. 'But we are not weaponless, you and I.'

'Magic?'

He nodded. He also had a few actual weapons on his person, but he figured it was not a good time to bring it up. Sigyn relaxed her grip. Up ahead, Thor was walking arms linked with the Jotun king, and they seemed to be talking. In closer inspection, Thor nodded and made sounds of interest while Thrym blabbed away. _So far so good._ Loki thought, his brain already turning to amend for their change in plans.

It turned out, rushing the wedding had not been so much a suggestion as it had been an announcement from the Ice Giant. The courtyard had been prepared, three long tables set in a pi formation, leaving a lot of free space in the center. There an impromptu altar had been erected. Loki smiled.

' _I will get Freyja to accept.' Loki said to the giant. 'But it is up to you to please her.'_

' _What do you mean?' Thrym asked._

' _She will be getting married away from home.' Loki explained 'So what you should do is allow her the traditions we have in Asgard. It is important to her.'_

' _I shall do that.' The king announced. '…What traditions?'_

' _Alright, listen closely…'_

So far, it seemed the giants had paid heed to what Loki had said. At least that part of their plan was still going well. It did not take an expert in Asgardian traditions to notice that everything Loki had told the Jotun king was made up. But it actually took an Asgardian to do so, or the very least someone who would have been welcome in an Asgardian wedding. A hostile Jotnar king did not qualify for that, although Loki had to admit there was a certain risk, due to the unknown variable that was whoever had aided Thrym in hiding Mjolnir completely, but it would seem that whoever the unknown sorcerer was, they were either unfamiliar with Asgardian customs, or simply testing the waters using the giant.

He was pulled out of his own musings as the time had come for the ceremony. The two bridesmaids were supposed to stand beside Thor. He and Sigyn both shuffled closer to the altar, in front of which Thor was already standing, visibly tense.

'He is ready to explode.' Sigyn murmured, loud enough for only Loki to hear.

'So let's get this over with quick. Can you sense anything?' He replied in a hushed voice.

Sigyn lowered her head further, and closed her eyes in concentration. She paid no heed to the vows being exchanged. She extended her senses, letting the physical world fade to the back of her mind. Loki's presence hit her like a wave the moment she opened herself up to it. Raw elemental power that pulsed like a living thing, volatile and explosive, and under that something entirely different; the quiet stable hum of energy, flowing steadily like water, that she had come to identify as the magic of the Aesir. She pulled back and extended further, now Loki was a flickering flame in a sea of ice. The Ice giants' magic was not as vibrant, but its presence was strong, surrounding her everywhere like a freezing wall. She could also sense Thor's power, he also combined the power of the Jotnar and the Aesir, but his was a natural blend that flowed as one, for he had been born with it. She could not sense the magic weapon anywhere in the courtyard. She was about to attempt extending further, when Loki placed his hand on her arm, sending a jolt of magic through the touch. It caught her attention and she snapped back into her physical senses so suddenly it caused her a wave of nausea.

Loki steadied her with both hands and steered her to follow Thor and the giant that had just finished their vows and were –now officially a wedded couple- heading to their seats at the head of the tables.

'Are you alright.' Loki whispered, even though no one's attention was presently on them.

'I couldn't find anything. Couldn't go further than the courtyard…' She stammered.

'It's alright.' He tried to reassure her. They approached the table and took their seats, Loki to Thor's left and Sigyn next to him.

'No, even if he is to bring the weapon forth they will have to break the concealment spell. I won't be able to sense that from here. This courtyard is packed with strong energies, it is overwhelming and confines my reach.'

'We are here to get Mjolnir back, not for the sorcerer.' Loki reminded her before turning his attention to Thor. His hand never left Sigyn's arm as he did so.

'I can't wait to present you with your gifts…my husband.' Thor grunted after some prodding by Loki. His temper was getting worse every second, and Loki feared he would not manage to hold the pretence up until the end.

'We will have time for that later.' The king said. 'Now let us feast!' He exclaimed loudly, which was met with an uproar of approval. Servants from within the hold began bringing out trays of food –mostly meats- and tankards of ale. Thor was fretting visibly now, tapping his legs and shifting in his seat. It was like static was running through his body. Loki elbowed him hard on the ribs. The glare the Thunderer must had given him was hidden under the veils. Out of all the lies Loki had fed Thrym, the fact that the bride's face was not to be uncovered until their wedding night alone had proven to be the most useful.

With the arrival of food and drink the crowd grew rowdy, and Loki risked turning his attention to Sigyn again.

'Are you better?' He asked her, not bothering to whisper this time.

'Yes. But we can't continue like this. I must go somewhere without interfering energies and search freely.' She insisted.

'Only if I come with you.' He said.

'Your energy is one of the strongst ones, so that would defeat the purpose.' She started, then her eyes widened and got fixed somewhere behind Loki. 'And I think right now you are needed elsewhere.'

Loki snapped his head around in alarm. As soon as the food had arrived, Thor had started attacking it with even more gusto than usual, turning his anxiety and anger into devouring everything that was on the table. Furthest away giants ate and drank engaged in loud conversation, but more and more were turning to stare at Thor. Their entire table was fixated on the thunder god, most of all the king. Loki felt the urge to bring the platter with the already half eaten boar – _by Valhalla how was that even physically possible-_ on Thor's head. Instead he stood up and leaned over Thor towards the gaping king.

'Our poor Freyja, she had been so excited about marrying you she didn't eat anything for the past two weeks.' He said with a sweet smile.

Thrym seemed satisfied by that, he let out a barking laugh and dived in his own food like a starved man. _No surprises there._ Loki thought haughtily, eyeing the colossal amount of food being brought and vanquished. He himself picked up a drink to calm himself. He emptied a tankard in one breath and leaned close to Thor's ear.

'Stop stuffing your face like that before I blast you all the way to Asgard.' He growled.

The Trickster pulled back and once again smiled at the king that had been observing him from behind Thor. The latter begrudgingly eased down on his eating, although he still downed impossible amounts of ale. Loki turned around to continue his conversation with Sigyn, only to find the seat beside him empty. A surge of panic rushed through him before she spotted her a few paces away talking to a servant. He jumped out of his seat and was by their side in a few strides.

'What is wrong?' Loki asked with the fake pleasant voice he had been using with the Jotuns. Only this time there was real worry in it.

'I am feeling unwell, I merely need to lie down for a while.' Sigyn said in the same tone, only deliberately weaker. 'Don't worry there are already rooms prepared for us.'

Loki grabbed hold of her hands and refused to let go. The situation was getting more aggravating by the second.

'You don't need to miss the feast because of me.' She said sweetly.

Loki had many colourful things to say about Odin and all of his children, as he looked between Thor and Sigyn. He noticed the servant woman was eyeing them suspiciously, and he begrudgingly let go of Sigyn's hands.

'Rest then.' He replied, his eyes conveying all the anger and disapproval his voice did not. Begrudgingly he moved back towards his own seat.

* * *

As soon as she was alone, Sigyn turned the key in the lock and laid down on the bed. The more comfortable she was the better. She once more let her senses extend, this time more slowly and carefully. She felt a pull from Loki's energy all the way from the courtyard. Whether it was because he was currently mad at her, or simply because it was too strong and familiar, she could not tell. She ignored it and tried to do the same with all the giants' elemental magic. She extended further and further, soon sweeping over the entire fort. There was no trace of Mjolnir, not even remnants of trails. A new worry sprang up, that the weapon had never been there in the first place. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and aside from Loki and Thor in the court, it was nothing but ice as far as she tried. She slowly pulled back, this time smoothly transitioning to consciousness.

The Vanir took a deep breath, and then focused again. This time even more cautiously. Just as before nothing close to Mjolnir could be found. She let the magic go less carefully, not caring for the whiplash in her frustration. Her head spun but this time she was already lying in a bed. She felt the frustration clouding her mind, she would not be able to perform another search, even if she had thought it would actually do any good.

 _I was stupid to ever think I could succeed on something that even Loki failed. He has two different types of magic running through his blood, and a few hundreds of years in experience on me. I never stood a chance, all I managed to do was make a fool of myself…_

She felt her eyes burn with tears and her chest tighten uncomfortably. For a moment she forgot all about their mission, the slaughter that could break out any moment. All she could think about was how foolishly she had tried to prove herself, and how she had failed. About how Loki had hesitantly put his faith in her- which was more than she usually got- and she had let him and everyone else in Asgard down.

'That's it!' She exclaimed out loud and shot up. If Loki could have two different kind of magic energies, so could someone else. A subtler kind, hidden under a strong elemental presence.

Sigyn took deep breaths to clear her head. She sank back into the searching spell. This time, she did not focus on Mjolnir's energy, but on those energies connected to a life force. _Everything with a pulse._ Loki, Thor, ice. She let Loki and Thor fade out of the picture. She doubted whoever she was searching for had been in the courtyard, but then again they could have always moved there, so she did not leave it out completely. For a few minutes she let her consciousness pas over the icy energies lightly, not focusing on someone in particular.

Then another presence, one she had not felt any of the previous times tugged at the edge of her consciousness. She tensed and tried to pinpoint the new energy, but the more she tried to focus on it the more it eluded her. There was something familiar about it, not so much the person it came from but the type of magic itself. She could not pinpoint that either. It was like seeing something out of the corner of her eye, only for it to be gone the moment she turned her head. Frustrating and elusive. But something was definitely there.

* * *

The crowd in the courtyard only became rowdier as the time passed and the drinking never slowed down. Loki was at the edge of his patience. He was worried about Sigyn, but he figured her room was better for her than the courtyard right about then. If she was there she would undoubtedly have to deal with those intoxicated giants and their grabby hands. Somehow he did not like that thought at all. He was really considering that the next hand he found somewhere inappropriate on him, he would burn off. The king was no exception, but his affections were not towards Loki. For the fourth time in the last half hour he made to lift the veil from Thor's face.

'No! Not yet.' Loki exclaimed.

'I cannot wait any longer!' The giant said impatiently. 'Just one ki-'

The Jotun's words caught in his throat as he lifted the double veil before Loki could slap his hand away, and he was faced with the enraged Thunderer's face. Thor's expression was a terrifying one, brows furrowed and eyes rimmed with red from the frustration and the drink. Loki quickly flipped the veil back down to hide Thor's face. He turned at Thrym, who was still gaping at Thor.

'My king!' Loki said, trying to keep desperation out of his voice. 'Freyja, she…She had such great anticipation to marry you she has not slept for the past two weeks!'

For a moment no one spoke, and Loki held his breath.

'Oh my dear, how horribly exhausted you look indeed.' Thrym finally said. Loki managed to breathe again and the king continued. 'We shan't drag this out any longer, let us present our gifts to each other, and then finally go to our bed.'

Thor nodded eagerly, with renewed energy that the giant no doubt misread as something else entirely than it was. It pleased him nevertheless.

'You have what you have promised me then?' Thor asked.

'Yes, of course.' The giant confirmed. He called a servant to him and said something close to the man's ear, and the servant departed.

'I am going to see if everything is in order with our gifts.' Loki said, and he retreated from the table.

The fight was about to break out, and it was due time he found Sigyn. He spotted the same servant woman she had left with sometime prior. He approached her and asked her to instruct him to the other bridesmaid's room. The servant directed him and Loki mumbled a thanks and dashed off. Before he was even halfway to his destination he felt something shift in the atmosphere around him. He stopped dead in his tracks when he realized what it was. _Mjolnir. Whatever spell was concealing it is broken._ At that realization he ran even faster.

He reached a corridor that looked like what the servant had described and skidded to a halt in front of the third door, the one supposedly leading to their room. He pulled at the handle to find it locked.

'Sigyn!' He yelled and put his weight against the door that was meant for a lot bigger and stronger people than him and obviously would not budge. Only it did. It swung open and Loki toppled to the floor inside the room. It clicked shut before he could even lift his head to look around. A bundle of clothes was thrown right at his face as he did so.

'I hope you don't plan to fight and escape in this.' Sigyn said pointing to the dress he was still wearing. She was already dressed in pants, a few layers of tunics and an oversized coat. Loki wordlessly started pulling the clothes that were blissfully his size on before opening his mouth to ask.

'Freyja packed for us, even if we forgot to. Servants had everything brought up to our rooms.'

Loki nodded and in a minute he was also in pants and a tunic. He forewent the coat and the other tunics but then thought better of it. He would expend enough energy to risk feeling the cold. He dug around the packed clothes but only found a cloak that was a few sizes small for him. He looked at Sigyn again, and realized he recognized the coat she was wearing.

'I think that's mine.' He said holding out the fur lined cloak to her instead.

* * *

The moment Mjolnir was placed on Thor's lap, it was like a caged beast was released. He immediately sprang up with speed even he did know he possessed, and brought the mighty weapon upon the king's head with enough force to crack not only his head but the table he was smashed against. Before anyone could even realize what was going on, the Aesir had thrown his hammer to the giant's sister. She flew back along with it and finally hit the wall with a sickening crunching noise. Her lifeless corpse slid on the floor and the weapon returned to the god's hand, ready to deal yet another death blow.

Finally, the giants were shaken out of their stupor and sprang to action. The armed guards dashed towards him, while the unarmed guests ran back inside the fort. Thor ripped the veil from his face and cursed the long dress for its lack of mobility. Still, to hold his weapon again gave him a rush so great, for the moment it did not even matter to him. With an agility the bulky giants did not possess he avoided the first guard that dived towards him, and spun on his heel to land a blow to the giant's back. He fell to his knees, and in another blow, this time to the head, he fell dead. From the dark clouds that had been gathering overhead, finally came the sound of thunder. Thor laughed, a deep rumbling sound, not unlike the thunder itself. His eyes, previously a stormy grey, were now blood red. The head of Mjolnir cackled with lightning.

'How I've waited for this.' Thor said, as more and more guards emerged in the courtyard and surrounded him cautiously.

* * *

Loki was more than certain that Thor could handle himself. The Ice giants were intimidating, but Loki knew just how angry Thor was, and that alone was more intimidating than a whole army of Ice Jotuns. He had seen it enough times before to know, Thor lost in the rage of battle. The memory alone was enough to send a shiver down the Trickster's spine. He and Sigyn had left their room not a moment too early, as soon after hurrying footsteps and the sound of the door –that they had locked upon leaving in order to buy themselves time- breaking echoed in the hallway.

'Is Thor going to be alright on his own?' Sigyn asked, as the two ran through mostly empty corridors. So far they had only come across a couple of servants that Loki had blasted with magic before they could even realize what hit them. She did not know whether it killed them, but fire certainly did not go well with the Ice Jotuns.

'Thrym is already dead, and his guards are being slaughtered as we speak.' Loki replied. 'Worry about us.'

'Not much to worry about.' She said, slightly breathless.

'The front gate should be shut down by now, and we have no way of opening it without getting killed.'

Sigyn stopped dead in her tracks. Loki stopped too a few meters away, he turned around and gave her an inquisitive look.

'Then where are we running to?'

'The back door of course.'

'Of course.' She huffed and started running once again.

Loki led her through small side corridors that he should not even had known existed. They found no one in those, not even servants. True enough, at the end of another narrow twisting corridor, they came upon a small door.

'I left through here last time.' He explained before she could even ask. The escape was proving too easy so far, and she was glad. With all the extensive magical searching she had done –all the time since she left the feast up until Mjolnir had suddenly shown up- she felt drained magically and physically.

'Well that was not so bad.' She said, a trace of confidence back in her voice.

Then Loki pushed open the small door, and she couldn't help cursing out loud.

'Not quite I am afraid.' He argued with a small apologetic smile.

One of the issues with the back exit, while it proved great for shapeshifters -such as most of the giants, and Loki even without the cloak- it was not so great for people who could not in any way fly. Unless of course they had some other way to climb down the jagged cliff to the forest below without slipping to their deaths, which Sigyn did not.

'You do see the problem with this plan, right?' Sigyn asked flatly,

'So little faith...' Loki commented, stepping out on the narrow ledge just outside the door. He looked expectantly at Sigyn. The sky was dark but for the flashes of lightning, and the thunder seemed to make the whole mountain rumble. The cliff was terrifyingly steep, and a fall could mean nothing but certain death.

'No.'

'Trust me.' Loki tried a winning smile.

She vehemently shook her head.

'Please.' He said softly.

The sound of fighting was still far away, no footsteps echoed towards the back door just yet. But that would not last forever, since at least one group of guards was after them, and even they would put one and one together at some point. Loki extended his hand, and Sigyn, for lack of a better option, took it and let herself be led onto the ledge. Loki pulled the door closed, always standing between her and the cliff.

'Just don't look down.' He said. He felt the need to make that request now that he was blocking the view off with his body, rather than when she actually would be able to look down, because she would. People always did. She still tried to peer around his shoulder.

'What did I just tell you?' he chided. He tried to make his tone light, no reason to unnerve her further.

She squeezed her eyes shut and focused on her breathing instead.

'So what now?' She asked when she managed to even her breaths out again. She opened her eyes to see Loki had half-closed his, and was muttering a spell of some sort. He was holding his palms close to each other, and between them a thick strand of what seemed to be pure magic was forming. It was a burning orange and runes shone every now and then between Loki's palms as he continued weaving it. He was fast, already having a coil forming at his feet. She had never seen him perform this kind of magic before. He had blasted the giants with his elemental magic –his fire was like a second nature to him in any given moment- but that was different. A spell that needed words and runes, the kind of spell the Aesir usually cast. Only, the raw power that Loki had at his disposal was different than any Aesir's. He performed the complicated spell stunningly fast, and yet the fiery rope did not seem to have any weak points. And Loki continued procuring more of it still. Maybe it was because she was so impressed by that, that it took her some time to realize how they were going to get down.

 _Oh dear…_

'We are almost good to go.' Loki said, almost cheerily.

 _Oh Hel…_

'Aaand done.' He proclaimed, holding one end of the glowing rope. The other end fastened itself on the wooden door, which startled the Vanir. Loki gave it an experimental tug and seemed satisfied. Sigyn on the other hand was looking absolutely horrified. She tried to back away, but there was nothing but the castle walls.

'Don't worry.' Loki attempted to reassure.

 _It's now or never._ She thought, and then stepped closer to the Jotun.

Loki wrapped the strange rope around the both of them and tightened it. She was surprised not to feel it cutting, although she could feel the pressure.

'Ready?' He asked.

She wrapped her hands around Loki's waist in a death grip and buried her face in his chest. They walked closer to the edge, until Loki's feet were half off it.

'Loki…' she muttered still pressed against him.

'What?'

'Have you done this before?' She managed to ask.

'No.' Loki replied, and then they were falling fast.

The scream that tore from Sigyn's throat was muffled by Loki's chest. He made no sound at all and she could not know what his expression was, because her eyes were squeezed shut. The fall seemed to last an eternity, at some point of which she realized that at this speed and height the rope would break their spines just as effectively as the ground would. But then, they simply were not falling anymore. Sigyn felt a tug in all of her body, but it was nothing like what she had expected- namely a crushing death. It took her a moment to open her eyes and pull away enough to look around. They were a few meters above the ground, few enough to safely jump. Somehow not only they had not broken in half, but they had not smashed against the cliffside either. Loki was looking down at her with a calm expression, but his eyes were still sharp with the adrenaline. He did not look nearly as scared as her, in fact his expression betrayed exhilaration over anything else. They stayed like that for a moment, and then Sigyn realized she still had Loki in a death grip.

'We are not horribly dead.' She finally managed, her arms retreating to her side.

Loki smiled at that. 'Of course not.'

They dropped the last few meters. Loki landed gracefully on his feet. Sigyn went sprawling awkwardly to the ground, from which she did not move for the next five minutes. It was the closest she'd ever felt to death, and it would take some time to recover.

'We should get to the carriage. Gunnar will not be expecting us until tomorrow so we need to get ready to depart the moment Thor comes down.' Loki prompted.

Sigyn picked herself up from the dirt, suddenly feeling very silly and childish.

It was pitch dark in the forest, and eerily silent. The fort up in the mountain was illuminated by the lightning, but apart from the sounds of thunder nothing more could be heard, not even the raucous fighting. Sigyn shivered as she tried to peer into the darkness of the looming woods, despite the fact that nothing very big or aggressive could exist so close to civilization.

'Can you see anything?' She asked when Loki made no move to conjure any fire or light.

'Just enough.' Loki replied. He took her hand in his, and guided her deeper into the menacing woods. They walked in silence, but not a comfortable one. The goddess kept shifting her glance around, searching for any glimpse of movement. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and she felt the urge to pull closer to Loki. _This is childish._ She chided herself. Still, the relief when they saw a dim firelight ahead was like removing Mjolnir from atop her chest.

A look of surprise crossed Gunnar's face as the two emerged from the shadows of the forest. Then he reassumed his usual somber expression.

'So that's what that strange storm was.' He said absently, and then resumed smoking the pipe that he had lit just a few moments before the two gods had appeared. They all sat in silence for a moment.

'How long will it take?' The driver's question was directed at Loki.

'Until dawn.' He replied with enough certainty to convince the man.

In the end he was proven right.


	5. Hel hath no fury like a woman scorned

**5\. Hel hath no fury like a woman scorned**

Frigga sat regally on her chair, back straight, her hands elegantly folded on her lap. Occasionally she sipped her tea, and her expression was the closest one could get to a frown without frowning. Loki called it "planning murder with poise", and technically he had the naming rights for it, since he was the person for whom it was invented and then used on regularly.

'Can't you sit like a person?' Frigga broke the silence on the table, hiding her irritation behind a thick layer of distaste.

Loki, who was seated right across from her and was happily inhaling a whole platter of jam tarts, looked at her and raised an eyebrow in question. The queen stole a glance at her husband who was, like he had been all morning, lost in his own thoughts, foreboding ones from the look of it. She glared at the Trickster the same way she used to look at little Thor when he would refuse to learn any table manners. Of course Loki had perfectly good table manners, he just chose not to apply them. Currently he was balancing his chair on its hind legs, at times swaying dangerously back and forth. He had chosen to ignore the other two people and was focused instead on eating everything sweet on the table.

'Yes ma'am.' He said mockingly and let his chair fall forward with a thud.

Frigga resisted the urge to scoff. He was no little child, everything he did he did on purpose, for the sole purpose of annoying people to be precise. Sometimes she wished he was one though, if he was her child –even an adopted one- she would had disciplined him a lot better.

'Not done brooding yet, brother?' Loki interrupted her thoughts by speaking up.

While she did not like his tone, Frigga begrudgingly agreed with him, this was starting to get ridiculous. She said as much when Odin merely gave Loki a sidelong disapproving glance.

'It has been weeks.' She pointed out. 'Nothing has happened since, and constantly worrying won't change anything.'

'And whoever that unknown magic wielder is,' Loki picked up 'mastery of one skill is not a testament of power. Even if it is, what threat could be great enough that we could not face it once it surfaced?'

Odin shook his head. 'It is an unknown value. I don't like having so little knowledge on someone that made it as far as beyond the gates of Asgard.' His voice sounded as tired as he looked. The results of the retrieval mission had cleared any doubts about the fact that the giant had not orchestrated the theft alone.

'It is possible that whoever it was got enough of a demonstration to decide against acting in any way against Asgard.' Loki offered. The image of Thor returning to their meeting point just as dawn broke, covered in blood, the fight not entirely gone from his eyes was still fresh in the Jotun's memory. Loki was used to more intimidating sights than that, but he could see how the little massacre would dissuade an ambitious amateur that suddenly mastered way too much power and got cocky. He was not worried. Frigga was worried, but evidently not about the phantom sorcerer.

'He could be biding his time.' Odin argued.

'Then we can start worrying when there is another sign of him.' Frigga spoke to her husband in a calm even voice. She stared directly into his eye, and for a moment Odin found himself lost in his wife's eyes. The calm but somehow fierce gaze that could awe him even after many centuries of their marriage.

'Or her.'

Both Odin and Frigga turned abruptly at Loki when he spoke, as if startled that he was still there.

'Could be a woman.' He elaborated, ignoring their reaction. 'Most magic practitioners are.'

Neither said anything in response. Some of the tension visibly slipped away from Odin, only to creep back into his posture after he exchanged a meaningful look with his wife. They both turned expectantly to Loki, who felt a sudden urge to flee the room. Odin cleared his throat, it sounded awkward, which was in itself alarming. Odin did not do awkward.

'Loki,' a pause 'how are things between you and Sigyn?'

At those words, Loki's light mood evaporated in a heartbeat. His expression hardened and his languid posture turned stiff.

'So nice of you to consider this.' He said with a smile that could freeze the blood in the veins of lesser people. 'Even if you are a few months late.'

Odin held the Trickster's cold gaze. He seemed ready to either start yelling, or sigh and never bring up the matter again. It was hard to tell. Thankfully Loki never got to see which one it was. His fight or flight instinct settled on flight, so he got up and left, with only as much as a hurried apology to Frigga. Odin did nothing to stop him. He was not looking forward to having that argument, which he knew they would have one day. He settled for sighing and wearily rubbing his one good eye.

'How else did you expect him to take all this?' Frigga asked, coming to stand behind Odin's chair and resting her hands on his shoulders.

Odin himself was starting to have his doubts about this particular decision. 'You were the one who foretold-'

'Why did you feel the need to push fate?' She interrupted him. 'The same way you can bring about a future by trying to avoid it, it is possible to change one by trying to force it into happening.'

'So has it changed?' Odin asked.

'My gift does not work in that way, you know that.'

Odin's face darkened at her words.

'But give it some time.' Frigga added with a smile.

* * *

In the weeks following their return from Jotunheim, Sigyn found out that she enjoyed spending time at Freyja's Hall. She enjoyed the elegant luxury that reminded her of home, unlike the grand and pompous or downright crude structures of the Aesir royalty. She enjoyed the goddess's company for very much the same reason, even if they differed in more matters than they agreed. And she especially enjoyed the non-person company.

She could not quite keep track of all the cats in the whole palace. There were many more than those that dragged the goddess's chariot, and most of them had a similar appearance. They were larger than any cats Sigyn had seen before, their voluminous fur making them appear even larger, yet their feet made no noise as they stalked around the halls. The grey cat that was seated at her lap was smaller than most of the rest, a kitten, and yet it was effectively pinning her down. She absently ran her hands over its back and it purred loudly. Every now and then it would shift to expose another part of its fur to be petted.

Another one of the cats –an adult, apparently unaware of its majestic size- jumped up on the divan Sigyn was sitting on and chirped loudly, trying to get her attention. It proceeded to rub its face against her elbow hard enough to push her hand off the kitten.

'Look at you huge baby.' She laughed and used one hand to scratch behind the older cat's ears. It purred happily and flopped down next to her.

'You are such little sweethearts. You are not evil clawed menaces… Anyone who says so is a- '

'Evil clawed menaces?' An amused voice interrupted Sigyn. 'Who says such things about my little lovelies?' Freyja stepped out in front of her.

Sigyn felt embarrassed about being caught talking to the animals. The older Vanir's look told her there was nothing to be embarrassed about. In fact Freyja often spoke her mind aloud with only her cats as an audience.

'Loki does.' She replied.

'That is rather hypocritical of him.' Freyja said and she sat down next to Sigyn. She was dressed plainly, but she did not look any less stunning without the extravagant ornaments she was partial to.

'Why so?' Sigyn asked. Her eyes did not leave the cat on her lap.

'Because he's had cats before. And he would always pick up the scrawniest, meanest mangy little beasts from the streets.' She gave a sidelong glance to the younger woman. 'What do you think that tells us?'

'Mmm.' Sigyn hummed thoughtfully. 'It tells us what kind of cat tends to end up on the street. Or how living in the streets affects them.' She did not look up to see Freyja's bemused expression. She didn't have to.

'I like all kinds of cats really. Liking these' Sigyn patted the content kitten in her lap 'is simply a bit easier.'

Freyja took the older cat's paw in her hands and squeezed it. The claws that came out were wickedly sharp and long.

'Mean as they might have been, those strays were never truly dangerous. These though…They could easily kill a man, even if they don't particularly want to.' She let go of the cat's paw and it yawned. Its teeth looked just as dangerous. It blinked slowly and bumped its head against Sigyn's side.

'They don't, or you don't?'

'They don't. Cats only ever do what they want. Sometimes it may just so happen to be the same thing you want. And while they usually don't want to kill a man, if said man tried to, say, steal their kittens…Well if he was fast enough he could escape with only a bunch of nasty scars. He might even manage to keep his pretty face intact.' Freyja grinned. It was wicked but not hateful, almost _fond?_ But whether the fondness was for the thief or the murderous cats was unclear.

'All the kittens are too old by now, as you can probably tell.' Freyja suddenly said. 'But by springtime there will be plenty of births. I could give you a few cats, since you have taken a liking to them.'

'That would be really kind of you, I would love it.' Sigyn smiled up at the goddess and Freyja found herself smiling back. It was infectious, not the way Loki's charming smiles or Balder's easy laugh were. It was something warm and genuine, and not so easily given away, which made it all the more beautiful.

'Actually, by then it will be an obligatory gift.' Freyja corrected herself.

Sigyn sighed and turned her gaze to her lap. Suddenly she'd rather just take the kitten already nestled there. It looked back at her and meowed in a whiny tone that did not befit its size.

'Avoiding to talk about it won't stop it from happening.' The older goddess said softly.

Sigyn did not look up. She knew that already, but talking had never come easily, especially not at times like this.

'Unless of course, something else will.'

Sigyn snapped her head up and searched Freyja's face. _"If by the beginning of spring you still loathe the idea, I promise you we won't get married." Loki had said to her. Had he also said something to other people?_

'Oh I am not suggesting anything.' Freyja clarified. 'It's just that I think you'd only ever do what you want. It merely happened that up to now what you wanted was the same thing others wanted.' She got up and circled around the divan towards the entrance. The kitten finally left Sigyn's lap to follow her.

'And you know, they may not be giving you a very good husband,' Freyja stopped in her tracks and turned to give Sigyn a suggestive smile 'but they are giving you the best partner in crime you can have.' With that she turned and left the room.

Sigyn turned to the large white cat that had not left her side. 'So now I get to be the rebellious schemer to get us out of this mess.'

It was an amusing thought, but not an entirely outrageous one.

* * *

It was always dark inside the cavern, even in the middle of the day. She could light a fire with a flick of her wrist, but she did not like fires. She preferred the dark and the cold. Or at least part of her did. A bright yellow witch-fire erupted from her outstretched palm and hovered in the middle of the cavern, where its colour died down to that of a natural flame. It was not bright enough to reach to the edge of the spacious cavern, some parts were still swathed in shadows. Near the middle, illuminated brightly by the light was a stone altar with runes carved along its side that caught the light in an unnatural gleam. At its base a set of chains and shackles lay useless, for the moment at least. A small table a little way off was covered in dried herbs and other magical ingredients, as well as knifes and other sharp appendages. A single old tome lay open in a marked page, the page was stained with brown decaying blood drops. She walked towards it after a moment's consideration.

'That is enough brooding for one day. We have learned interesting things, yes we have.' She muttered thoughtfully. Her voice, surprisingly low and grainy for someone with her youthful face, echoed in the empty space. It was tinted with a childish glee that befit neither her gruff voice nor young but womanly face.

' _I don't like the fire.'_ A small voice, softer, broken. She was not sure if it spoke out loud or only in her head. It didn't matter, not in her own sanctuary. It did not really matter out of it either.

'Oh but we should not fear the fire. Remember, the fire did not kill us. No, the fire made us. And we are stronger than ever now, that is the gift the fire gave us.'

She took a decisive step towards the fire, but her face betrayed hesitation. She hugged her arms around her middle tightly.

' _But it hurt.'_

She stopped a step away from the hovering flame, eyeing it uncertainly. Then, in a sudden spasmodic movement she reached her hand into it. Her previously scared eyes gleamed fiercely.

'It does not hurt any more. The pain made us stronger. The fire made us stronger. And now, finally it is the time to give back.' She grinned widely, murderous glee contorting her beautiful face into something twisted. The small voice did not reply.

'We will show _him_ what it feels like to burn.' She said then, in a calmer tone, as if soothing herself. She pulled away from the flames. 'We know how to distract the warrior.'

' _What about the sorceress? She was strong. She stayed back, but she was strong. She stayed with him.'_ Almost a whisper.

'Then she will also burn. And the warrior. All of them deserve it.' She spat angrily. Then she composed herself again. 'All of them. But first, the one who tricked us. He will know the pain he made us suffer.'

' _Yes he will suffer. But he will beg for something as merciful as the pain we suffered.'_

* * *

Sigyn had not seen any of the carnage. She had only seen her half-brother, covered in blood and grime, his eyes hard and cold and blood red, like she had never seen them before. At first he had been tense, then his whole demeanour had changed: he'd looked weary, body and soul. The return home had been silent, and only back inside Asgard's walls had Thor's attitude turned cheerful and boasting; the attitude of a warrior, a winner. She had never been on this side of a victorious battle. _Battle… More like a massacre._

She was glad they had succeeded. She had even felt the rush of accomplishment, as she and Loki arrived at their meeting point, assured of their victory. But then the remnants of the battle that clung to the thunder god had soured the taste of victory. She had seen blood before, injuries and destruction, but this was different. She had been part of this, and for the first time it had felt like the blood was also on her hands. It was not supposed to feel wrong. _Because they were the enemy. But what for?_ _Did they deserve it as punishment for what they did? Theft was not punishable by death in Asgard, or Vananheim. Or was it because they were Jotun, and hereby enemies by default? Loki was also Jotun, and yet he was part of this. No one killed him for stealing and lying –which he certainly did at tactical intervals- although perhaps some tried…_

These questions and doubts plagued her mostly in the night time. When she had retired to her room and was left alone with her thoughts, where there were no distractions. Sometimes they surfaced during the day too. She was not good company these days, and she had even less energy left to deal with other people when she had to spend so much of it on dealing with her own thoughts. She had kept mostly to herself and had tried to avoid social situations. So far they had let her, but that would not last for long. She had talked to Loki a few times, absently chatted about nothing in particular. Maybe it was something about jumping off a deadly cliff while tied to each other, but it was suddenly a lot less intimidating and disconcerting to talk to him. And he had never commented on her state. Whether he simply did not care, or had some sort of understanding, she did not know. It did not matter as long as he provided a distraction, which he was really good at. They were not getting particularly warmer towards each other, but they were not as cold as they used to, or as inconsistent. It was a stalemate, and it would probably not be long until someone tried to push it again, someone like Odin.

Sigyn shifted uncomfortably on her bed. Her eyes refused to stay closed, they would flutter open every few seconds and she felt the urge to get up and pace. It was unnerving, to feel like that in the time and place that usually offered sanctuary from her anxieties. Eira, quick to pick up on her mood shift even when she had been a resident of Asgard for so short a time, had supplied Sigyn with an herbal mixture that would help soothe her nerves. A faint touch of magic aided the herbs in that. But still, her imagination remained vivid –or maybe became even more so- in her sleep. She sometimes wished she had witnessed the aftermath of the battle, to have a real image in her mind, rather than construct a new horrid one every time she had a nightmare.

'Ljós' she uttered and a bright ball of white light materialized in front of her face. A bit too bright, as she yelped and squeezed her eyes shut. She willed the light to dim down, a simple enough task that needed no words or gestures. She peered through squinted eyes, and when her sight adjusted again she sat up and eyed the vial of amber liquid on her bedstead.

'I' everything a'right?' Erika stumbled into the room, and there was concern in her voice even as it was muddled from sleep.

'Yes, I am sorry for waking you.'

Erika sighed and stepped fully into the room, closing the door behind her. She walked over to Sigyn's bed and sat next to her. She took the goddess's left hand in her own.

'You still cannot rest?' She asked.

Sigyn shook her head.

'Doesn't that help?' Erika gestured to the vial.

'Sleep, yes. But not rest. Not really.' Sigyn admitted.

Erika hated this. She wished Sigyn had never gone to Jotunheim, and her concerns had proven right, though for an entirely different reason. And she did not know what to do to help. Sigyn was closed off by nature, she stubbornly kept whatever ailed her to herself. Erika was pretty sure she would even avoid healers if she could. Not to impose or some stupid notion like that.

'You still can't stay up all night.' Erika made up her mind. She gave Sigyn's hand a squeeze and then let go of it and got up. She walked back into her quarter and returned with a pitcher of water and a glass. She filled it about halfway and took the vial in her hands. She emptied ten drops in the water –the maximum dose- and handed it to Sigyn who reluctantly accepted it. She emptied the glass, displeased by the herbal aftertaste, and laid back down over the covers.

Erika didn't leave. Instead she sat at the edge of the bed and started rubbing the goddess's upper arm in a repetitive soothing motion.

'It will be alright.' She muttered. It really would, she knew that much. As soon as Sigyn knew it too, Erika believed, there would be no more nightmares to worry about.

The effect of the sleep drops was immediate, and Sigyn did not fight it. She remained conscious long enough to hear Erika's reassuring words, and then the world faded away into black.

The dream started like any other, vague and unfamiliar. However, she was aware in a way that she rarely was when dreaming. At the edge of knowing it was a dream. She was in a valley. It was vast and barren, and the ground felt frozen under her bare feet. The light was dim and blue, like the dawn of a really cloudy morning. When she tried to peer further into the distance, the image turned hazy. A fine veil of mist rolled towards her, but she could not feel the damp clinging to her clothes. It was cold, but the cold was not piercing. It was not even a discomfort.

She opened her mouth to take a deep breath, and froze. It was as if in that moment her lungs forgot how to pump air in and out. She felt panic seizing her, and her hand shot up to her throat. Time passed and yet she did not suffocate. The panic slowly ebbed away. It was the strangest sensation, to simply not need to breathe. _Is that what it feels like-_

'To be dead? Yes, at least partly.' A disembodied voice echoed around Sigyn. It was female, and cold just like everything in this dream.

'Who is this?' Sigyn was surprised to be able to speak without breathing.

Right in front of her, a figure manifested from shadows that coiled around each other like smoke. The shadows took the shape of a woman, smaller than Sigyn –no, a girl. A lean, almost skeletal girl, clad in a black dress formed from the very shadows she had materialized from. But that was not the strangest part. The right side of her face was sun deprived but vivid, her right eye was a deep green, and thick black hair cascaded over her shoulder. Her arm was exposed all the way to the shoulder. The left side of her face was an ashen grey, stretched over the bones in a ghastly way as if there was no flesh underneath. The eye in her left socket seemed to be missing, more dark shadows were swirling inside her skull behind it. Thin wisps of white hair fell limply over her face and on the side of her head. Her left arm was covered up and gloved, and her dress reached the floor.

'Staring is not polite.' The girl remarked with a thin smile. For a moment, the expression made her seem familiar. 'So am I-'

'You are not dead. Nor are you about to be. This is a…social visit.'

'Then you are-'

'I am real. As real as something can be here.' She gestured around the valley. 'So you recognize me?' Again the sardonic smile played at her lips, but there was no emotion in her voice.

Sigyn nodded. 'Hel. The guardian of the realm of the dead.'

'Usually, people refer to me as the queen.' Hel remarked.

'The title feels like a mockery. If I was in your place I'd rather be called what I really am.'

'Which is?'

'A prisoner.'

Hel tilted her head to the side and stared at the goddess. Sigyn could not tell whether she was angry, amused, or merely curious. She had certainly overstepped a line.

'I did not come here to talk about me.' Hel finally said, no hint of anything in her voice.

'How are you here?' Sigyn could not help asking.

'Dreamwalking. My parents are both powerful witches, so I naturally inherited the talent. And as someone who does not belong with the dead or the living, I find myself rather at home in dreams.' Hel explained. 'And speaking of my parents.' She eyed Sigyn intently. 'Is it true that you are marrying my father?'

Hel was Loki's daughter, Sigyn knew that. Somehow though, she had not made the particular connection between herself and the goddess of death, not until then. At which point she made an undignified choking noise, a feat for someone who was not breathing at the moment.

'Ah, that answers it. I was keeping an eye on some things when I heard it, but I had to see for myself.'

Sigyn was speechless. She did not really know how to react.

'So, you drew the short straw.' Hel laughed, and this time there was some real humour to it, although it still sounded cold. 'You know, many women in your position end up dumping their _problem_ on my hands, so to speak.' She said in a conversational tone.

It took Sigyn a moment to grasp the meaning behind that.

'Oh no! I would never do anything like- '

'You misunderstand me.' Hel cut her off yet again. It seemed to be a habit of hers. 'I am not against it by principle, nor is my sentiment what you think it is. It's simply that getting murdered by your wife-to-be is a disgraceful death, and that would make Loki _my_ problem for all eternity. It will happen eventually, he is incapable of a heroic –or even slightly decent- death, but I hope it will be later rather than sooner.'

Sigyn was visibly taken aback. Although, perhaps given the heritage of the goddess she should not have been surprised.

'You said you were keeping an eye on something?' Sigyn attempted to change the uncomfortable subject.

'Yes, some interesting things are stirring up, and fore once it is not Loki that is responsible. Quite the contrary actually. It is too rare to miss, even if the affairs of the living are no concern of mine.'

'They are a concern of mine. What is going on? Is it related with Mjolnir's theft?'

'Now, where would the fun be in telling you?' Hel grinned, and Sigyn could clearly see the family resemblance. She decided against pointing it out, better not to tempt fate further.

'See you around.' Hel said before Sigyn could protest. It sounded extremely ominous. Then she evaporated into thin air, and the dreamscape became empty.

Suddenly air flooded Sigyn's lungs, and the shock was enough to startle her awake. Through the drawn curtains a stream of pale morning light entered the room. It was peaceful, and despite the intense dream Sigyn felt her entire body relax. It was probably an effect of the medicine, but her mind emptied of all thoughts, and she eased back to sleep.

* * *

So, she had been visited by Hel – _Hel the guardian of the disgraced dead, Hel the goddess of the underworld, Hel the half-dead, Hel daughter of Loki for whom there was no love lost-_ that did not mean she was about to sit around and sulk for another day. She did not know if it was related to her nocturnal visitor, but she had also enjoyed a heavy dreamless sleep after a long time. She had finally rested, and she finally felt less heavy as she got out of her bed at late noon. Sigyn was going to have a good day, and that was not negotiable.

Lately Bragi would spend a lot of time with Idunn, and normally Sigyn did not want to get in the middle of them. But this evening she decided she would go visit the goddess in her grove. Not only it had quickly become one of her favourite places in Asgard, but Idunn had become one of her favourite people. She also liked Bragi a lot, he and Idunn both were bright and cheerful. _Perfect for one another_ , she often thought.

The first time she had found herself there by mistake, but Sigyn had no problem finding it again. Maybe she did take a few wrong turns here and there, and maybe it took her a little more time than it was supposed to, but she had started early so it did not count as a problem. In the end she was there, in front of the familiar entrance, about to go inside. Which she never got to do.

The woman appeared to literally come out of nowhere, although logically she had come out from one of the close by groves and gardens. She was a lot taller than Sigyn, and from the first glance there was no question about her origin. Dark skin, jet black hair, and violet eyes were not a common combination in any realm besides Jotunheim. Her lips were painted dark purple and her eyes were lined with black. She stood between Sigyn and her destination, and simply looked down at the Vanir with a mildly curious expression for a few seconds.

'You are Sigyn Odinsdottir?' The Jotun asked. Her voice was pleasantly deep.

'Yes. And who are you?' Sigyn looked the stranger straight in the eyes. It lost some of its effect since she had to tilt her head upwards and slightly raise herself on tiptoes to do so. The Jotun woman seemed entirely unimpressed.

'I am Angrboda, the Witch of Ironwood.' She replied nevertheless. Apparently she expected this to mean something since she gave no further explanation. Sigyn also felt like it should, but she could not really put her finger on it. Judging from recent experience, and the fact that the woman was Jotun, however, she had a pretty good idea what this would be about.

'Alright. So I will go out on a limb and say this is about Loki, who is your relative or old acquaintance that you absolutely despise. Still you felt the need to come all the way here and confront me, probably offer your condolences and laugh a little in my face about it on top?' Sigyn said, a lot more aggressively than she had intended. This was getting terribly old and tiresome. _Maybe for a change the people who had a bone to pick with Loki could go bother him instead._

'So I guess you are really not in this by choice, if you were you would be deserving of your fate. But as it is I wanted to offer some advice, a warning of what is to come if you wish.' Angrboda ignored Sigyn's outburst.

'Everyone seems to have something to say about what it will be like, you'd think half of the nine worlds have already been married to Loki.'

'Not half of the nine worlds. Only me.' Angrboda grinned.

'You're…You were married?' Sigyn had not expected that. In retrospect, she knew very little about Loki's past. Hel had mentioned both her parents, and she knew Loki had other children too, but somehow she had assumed he had never had an actual wife. _That is the kind of thing normal people talk about when they are supposed to be married, but no, Loki would rather not talk about anything remotely personal and jump off cliffs and try to get himself killed while drunk instead._

'We were. Had a nice little cottage in Ironwood, three kids. The only thing missing was the dog. Oh and Loki, for like half of the days and nights.' Angrboda's mocking tone turned to bitter in a heartbeat. 'Although I suppose that will serve _you_ well enough. A girl like you would have to be really stupid to actually want to be _with_ Loki for more than a few nights. You don't seem to be.'

'Then what does that make you?'

'Me? I knew what I was getting into, what kind of person Loki is. I also knew it would be really fun while it lasted, so I was ready to deal with the consequences. That does not mean I have to like them, but I was certainly not deluded.' Angrboda explained.

Sigyn felt a steady build-up of anger towards the woman that made so many assumptions.

'You are so certain that this marriage will actually happen.' She remarked, struggling to stay composed.

'As I said, I know Loki. He only cares about one thing, and that is saving his own skin. Maybe –probably- he did not want this any more than you, but he will not risk getting Odin and other powerful people angry, when for him you will be just a minor inconvenience. Something to leave at home and not think about again unless he has to. It is your life that will be ruined.'

'You know Loki, you do not know me.' Sigyn muttered angrily. She stared at the ground and her breathing turned shallow. She had to clench her fists to keep her hands from shaking.

Angrboda laughed. She gripped Sigyn's chin and lifted her face to meet her gaze. Sigyn's breath hitched at the unwelcome contact. 'What is there to know about you? You will do what you are told like a good little girl.' Angrboda spat disdainfully.

'Slá!' Sigyn snarled the word of command that threw the Jotun back with the force of a warrior's blow.

Angrboda was thrown back, but she managed not to fall over. She looked at Sigyn with amusement. 'Perhaps I was slightly wrong about you.'

Sigyn had her hands raised defensively in front of her. The tips of her fingers glowed with a soft blue light, and the air around her palms crackled with the power that was already gathered, ready to be unleashed with a word or gesture.

'I don't really wish to fight you. I think I like you, and it is a pity you get to play this particular role.' Angrboda spoke calmly, palms raised up with no magic gathered in them.

Sigyn lowered her own hands, but the magic would be harder to disperse. 'I don't know what I will do yet. But your grievances with Loki are your own, regardless of how I end up. The only person with whom you should be taking up how Loki has wronged you, is Loki.' She said evenly.

'Evidently I will.' Angrboda grinned and tilted her head to look somewhere behind the smaller woman.

Before Sigyn had a chance to turn around she heard a familiar voice, colder than she had ever heard it before.

'What in the Nine do you think you are doing here?'


	6. The witch of Ironwood

**6\. The witch of Ironwood**

'Why Loki, we were just talking about you.' Angrboda exclaimed. 'We were reaching the conclusion that you are an irredeemable ass.'

'What are you doing here?' Loki repeated coldly.

'Can't I come by for a little visit?' Angrboda asked innocently, while sidestepping Sigyn.

'Oh is that it? All of a sudden you like Asgard and want to have little visits?'

'I don't have to _like_ it. You don't, but you could never stay away from here for long, could you?'

'That had less to do with wanting to be in Asgard, more to do with…' Loki paused in mock thoughtfulness 'Ah yes, not wanting to be with you.' He concluded venomously.

 _That was a low blow,_ Sigyn decided. It was not her place to even be there, more so decide anything, but she found herself fixed in place. She had never seen anyone match Loki's sharp words in kind. Physical threats, or even Frigga's severe scolding, were good ways to shut him up, but this was something entirely different.

Angrboda's expression turned from mocking to downright murderous. 'You are the one who came to _my_ woods-'

'And did not have the courtesy to quietly get robbed and killed?'

'You did not have to stay!' She screamed. Violet magic sparked around her clenched fists at her side.

'You did not seem to mind that I did.' Loki retorted nonchalantly 'It's not like I ever did anything you didn't condone, encourage even.'

'Do you think I _condoned_ you always disappear off without so much as a word? Did I _encourage_ you to leave me to care for our children all on my own?' Her voice was low, dangerous.

'I never promised anything differ-'

'Do you think' she growled 'I did _not mind_ when you chose the side of those who damned our daughter for all eternity?'

At those words, whatever was keeping Loki calm and collected shattered violently. 'What more could I had done?' He screamed. As he did bright orange flames erupted from his hands all the way to his upper arms. He did not seem to take note of it. 'Gotten myself killed? Imprisoned? Should I had made myself an enemy of the people who would as easily hurt the other two as well? You know damn well it was the only way to prevent something happening to them!'

'Don't you dare pretend it is all a strategic lie for the sake of our children! You don't hate these people. You live with them, fight with them, feast with them. Some of them are even your friends.' She spat the word out like an accusation. She was shaking, flashes of violet lightning erupted in the air around her. 'The people who cursed our daughter-'

'Are dead!' Loki yelled.

'Not all of them!'

'King Bor is dead. His council and confidants are dead. You want me to hate an entire race?'

'How much more will you allow them to hurt you before you do? They have no problem hating entire races, Loki, they hate _our_ race.'

'It is not their fault. What happened to Hel...' Suddenly Loki sounded like the life had been sucked out of him. Even the flames died down so fast as if they'd never been there.

Angrboda was visibly taken aback. She did not reply, but her hard expression relented a little. For many drawn out moments neither spoke, the atmosphere was thick enough to cut with a knife. Slowly the static of storm-magic around Angrboda dispersed.

'Those whose fault it was burned long ago.' She concluded. _And yet it does not hurt any less._ That she left unsaid, but it did not matter, it might as well had been spoken aloud. Sigyn grappled with a multitude of mixed feelings, the shame of intruding in such a moment chief among them.

'You should leave now.' Loki said quietly. After the onslaught of screaming and yelling it sounded like a whisper. Angrboda nodded. They both knew Heimdall had certainly been watching the whole time. It was likely, the only reason no one had intervened up to this point was that he liked watching Loki get yelled at, but that was no longer the case.

Then Angrboda turned, not to leave but to look at Sigyn, who cast her eyes down in embarrassment.

'I would like you to come with me.' She said abruptly. Sigyn's head shot up in surprise, and Loki tensed all over. He fixed his gaze at the two women but did not interrupt.

'Me?' Sigyn was more than a little surprised at the... _What? Invitation?_

'Yes. It was bound to happen sooner or later anyway, so why not now? I am openly and publicly extending my hospitality, and promise your safety.' Angrboda announced, less for Sigyn and more for Heimdall and whoever else was listening.

Sigyn's first reaction was to turn to Loki, which she resented. He had no say in the matter, and it was glaringly obvious that if he did he would oppose. But he was just as aware of the fact, so he did not protest.

'Nothing was bound to happen. There is no obligation to accept.' He merely told Sigyn, and then, attempting to seem uninterested in what her answer would be, he turned to leave.

No Odin himself astride Sleipnir, no angry hammer-brandishing Thor, not even an armed guard. No one tried to physically stop what was happening, and around here physically stopping things they did not like was a habit, rule even. As far as Sigyn was concerned, it was indeed safe. Physically at least. It was also perfectly acceptable to decline, to stay uninvolved as it was the prudent thing to do _._ Wasn't that what she had done her entire life after all?

 _And what has that amounted to?_ In a moment of clarity the answer was painfully obvious. Giving in to curiosity was supposed to cause hurt. But never giving in to curiosity…

'I will accept your invitation.' She said in what she hoped was a steady decisive voice.

'Great.' Angrboda grinned and rushed to the Vanir's side. 'Let's get you packed up then.'

Sigyn nodded, but kept her distance from the woman by taking a step back. They fell into step together. 'How will we be travelling?'

Angrboda looked the other woman over thoughtfully. 'The long way, I suppose.'

'There is a short way?' Sigyn asked. She was indulging her curiosity with the Jotun, she might as well go all out and ask anything she wanted.

'Yes, but it is limited to the magically gifted. I don't suppose you will have heard of that here in Asgard.' There was derision in her voice, but it was not directed so much to Sigyn herself.

'Loose strands of the magic that was used to create the Bifrost Bridge?' Sigyn suggested. Angrboda turned to look at her, clearly impressed.

'I am from Vanaheim.' Sigyn explained with a shrug. The particular piece of information she had learned from Loki, not in her homeland, but a little lie never hurt anyone.

'And do the sorcerers of Vanaheim know how to travel between realms using that magic?' Angrboda inquired.

'They are kind of hard to find without any aid.' Sigyn admitted.

'Well in that case, I will do the finding.' Angrboda grinned at the goddess. They did not exchange any more words, as they had now reached the inner part of the city. The glances that the Jotun received varied, from disapproving, to scared. There was recognition in some of them – usually the particularly scared ones. The witch was certainly not one to elicit indifference.

Sigyn was not sure whether she should bring the Jotun into Odin's Hall where the things she needed were. Maybe no one had been watching her after all, and Loki simply could not care less if his ex-wife would murder his future one, save him the trouble. Or maybe their hospitality for her extended only so far as not to try to kill her in sight.

Angrboda solved the dilemma for her. 'I will wait here.' She announced the moment they reached the front courtyard. 'You should go in the front door, you are not sneaking out after all.' Even as she said so she slunk in a darkened corner in the far end of the yard. 'Don't take too long, and do remember to dress warmly.'

 _I would not dream of ever going to Jotunheim without a coat and a cloak._ Sigyn thought with a shudder. Last time she had forgone those and she would had frozen solid if it had not been for Loki. The solution had been less than elegant. Loki probably still hated her a little for it. She said nothing however, just nodded in agreement and quickly made her way inside the Hall.

She had expected to be intercepted by Odin, or more likely someone sent by Odin. Instead the one she found waiting outside her quarters was the queen of Asgard herself. Frigga's expression was closer to worried than stern. Nonetheless it made her feel guilty, like she was a little girl again, one of the rare times she was caught misbehaving.

'You shouldn't do this.' Frigga got right to the point the moment Sigyn approached.

'She will not hurt me. She must know there would be consequences. And she can understand well enough she will not be doing Loki any damage by hurting me, which is probably what she's after.' Sigyn reasoned.

'That does not mean I trust her. Her motives have never been entirely reasonable. She is chaotic and dangerous, nothing she promises can be taken at face value.'

'That sounds awfully lot like someone else I know.' Sigyn said pointedly. 'You don't seem to have an issue leaving me alone with him though.'

'They are similar enough. The difference between her and Loki, is that we don't have her allegiance, but her contempt.'

'And there seems to be plenty of good reason for that contempt.'

Guilt flashed in the older goddess's eyes. A haunted expression, even a hint of sympathy, the kind only a mother could show to another. She did not reply.

'I am not of Asgard, and I will not accept to stand trial for its past mistakes. My father's mistakes or his father's. I would stay out of this, but I am already involved.' Sigyn said resolutely.

Frigga sighed. 'And Odin still thinks you are the compliant one of his children.' She huffed a small laugh and took Sigyn's hands in her own. 'Just make sure you are safe. I am fairly sure you are better at that than most people around here.'

Sigyn nodded, and Frigga, apparently satisfied enough, let her pack.

It should not had come as a surprise when the giantess led Sigyn all the way back from where they had come from. They passed the entrance to Idunn's grove, and continued walking further away from the city. Angrboda had scarcely said anything since Sigyn met up with her again. She turned and entered what seemed to be an old run down garden. The low stone wall separating it from the dirt street was crumbling down, and weeds tall enough to reach Sigyn's chest covered everything. It really did not help dismiss the idea that Angrboda had brought her out there to murder her and dispose of the body. She silently followed anyway. At the end of the garden there was no wall, the weeds simply gave way to trees.

'So the pathway is inside the forest?' Sigyn asked.

'Naturally, since it leads into a forest.' Angrboda replied. She opened her stride, eager to get to her destination.

Sigyn had a hard time catching up through the thick undergrowth, trying to balance the bulk of her traveling pack. She broke into an awkward trek, which Angrboda graciously pretended not to notice. When the Jotun finally stopped it was so abrupt Sigyn almost collided with her.

'Is it here?' Sigyn asked, slightly out of breath.

'Do you want help with that?' Angrboda pointed at her pack after noticing the strain the goddess had taken.

'No.' Sigyn replied.

Angrboda pried it out of her arms anyway. 'No need for useless physical strain distracting you.' She said nonchalantly and slung it over her shoulder. It looked a lot smaller and lighter on the bigger woman.

'Alright. How do we do this?' Sigyn asked. She was not feeling anything similar to the Bifrost's energy signature.

'The magical energy of that bridge is so massive, it becomes hard to recognize it in much smaller amounts.' Angrboda explained. She closed her eyes and reached out with one hand. 'Ah, there.' She muttered.

Sigyn tried to mirror her movement. It was true, the first thing she had noticed about the Bifrost's magic was how strong and potent it was, overwhelming her magical senses. When she tried to take that away, she could not recall the exact feel it had. Even the magical presence of the woman beside her was strong enough to cover up whatever it was they were looking for now.

'Here, let me help.' Angrboda said, and extended her hand. Sigyn reluctantly took it, and a rush of familiar energy traveled through the Jotun's hand to her body. And then, she could feel what she had been reaching out for. In that pure form, the channel of magic resembled less a bridge, and more a thin veil. It felt that all she had to do was reach out and pull it aside. The same multitude of colours she had seen on the Bifrost danced behind her closed eyes. She gasped in wonder.

'Something like this has been here the whole time.' Sigyn said in amazement. She pulled her hand free of the other woman's, but the presence did not falter. Suddenly it felt strange that she could not see it before, she or anyone else.

'Here and in many other places. In time, you may find more than this one.'

'How do we cross?' Sigyn asked.

'Reach out with your own magic, gently.' Angrboda instructed.

Sigyn was not used to channelling raw power without some sort of spell or incantation. The times it actually escaped her it was not gentle, but explosive and violent. She could feel the passageway pull at her own magic, and she concentrated on it.

'You don't have to focus so much on it. This kind of magic is not like the one that you are used to. Don't resist it, let it do the work for you.'

Sigyn reluctantly relinquished control, and the subtle tug at her magic built up to a powerful pull at her whole being, energy and body. The feeling of disembodiment that followed only lasted for a few seconds, but each of them felt agonizingly slow. When she found herself whole and on solid ground again, she was no longer standing among the trees in the outskirts of Asgard. All her senses returned in a sudden rush, and the first thing she felt was the biting cold. The ground and the vast trees around her were covered with snow. This forest was a lot thicker than the one around Asgard, and the little light that found its way to the ground seemed grey. A wolf's howl was heard in the distance, closer than Sigyn would like, and she searched for any kind of movement behind the thin mist.

Angrboda grinned down at the intimidated Vanir. 'Welcome to Ironwood.'

* * *

Sif knew that her husband was not one for subtlety and pretty words. He was bad at reading people, and worse at asking them what was wrong with them. Still, he would always notice when she was sad or worried, and he would do the best he could to change it. "I know I am not good at this, but you are my wife, it is my duty to take care of you." He would declare with absolute conviction. That alone was reason enough to love him for her, and not once had his inelegance made her regret her choice to marry him.

But then there were those times when Thor could had as easily been married to Loki, for the way he fussed over the Jotun. Even that she could not really hold against him, for all it displeased her. Thor had been alarmed and distracted ever since he'd heard what had happened with Angrboda. Everyone knew of course that the giantess was bad news, but it was different for Thor. And when Loki had returned, alone, his expression closed off, Thor had immediately rushed to him and asked whether the Trickster needed some company. Loki had refused. They had been drinking in Thor's Hall for the past three hours. Sometimes, caring for someone meant you had to physically drag them to your house for a drink, Thor firmly believed.

Sif had not joined them, but the scene was achingly familiar. Once she had been part of it. But those days were no more, and they would never be. Even if one day all the resentment and hurt died down, there were still things that could never be regained. However, she still knew when it was time for someone logical to intervene, even if she would only watch from afar. She walked over to the otherwise empty long table the two were occupying. They were seated next to each other in the same bench, and Loki had placed most of his weight on Thor's side. Thor was staying patiently still, and his expression brightened when he saw his wife.

'You should have a drink too.' He said, more mildly than expected.

She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. 'You shouldn't have any more drinks.' She countered. 'I can practically see the bad ideas forming in your heads.' Her look lingered on Loki at that.

She had expected a biting remark, but instead Loki just looked up at her with an exaggerated broken up expression. Thor grinned at the exchange, in that way that made him look so much more carefree…

Sif felt something clench in her stomach. She rolled her eyes and let out a theatrical sigh. 'Alright, but I did not have a part in whatever you end up doing.' She scolded, and turned to leave. 'I want to see Frigga, I might stay there too.' She added more quietly. _I will stay there._ She had already decided.

Thor did not say anything, Loki stared at Sif's turned back. She walked away and left them both in silence.

Eventually, Loki broke it. 'I kinda miss you sometimes.' He confessed. 'Both of you.'

Thor stiffened but did not push Loki away. 'You miss taking turns fucking with both of us just to see how long it would take for our marriage to fall apart?' He asked bluntly, an edge to his voice.

Loki sighed and replied in a soothing tone. 'Why must you dwell on that part? That was only in the beginning.' He wrapped his arm around Thor's waist, ruining the Aesir's attempt to pull away. 'I miss what we had later, when there was no taking turns.'

'It was you who ended it.' Thor retorted, resigning to the physical contact. Loki would very rarely show any signs of affection, but when he did it was mostly physical. He had come to accept that at some point.

'It was going to end anyway, sooner or later. Didn't matter how. But it was nice while it lasted, so I miss it, is all.'

Thor did not reply, but he gave in and returned the one-armed embrace. 'Nothing can be done about it now.' He said after some thought.

'Mmm-hhm' Loki agreed, nuzzling his shoulder.

'Then what do you want, Loki?'

'A distraction.'

* * *

It soon became obvious that Jotunheim would not be getting any warmer, and Sigyn would not be getting any more used to it. Thankfully their walk through the woods had not lasted very long. Ironwood was not only dark and thick, there was magic in the air around them, the kind that could confuse the senses and warp the image of a place to the point where navigation could become impossible. And if the frequent snarls and howls that could be heard were anything to go by, it was obvious the ones that got lost would not be leaving the woods. Still, Angrboda knew exactly where she was going. She seemed completely at ease in the hostile forest.

Even though it was not far from the cave where the passageway was, Sigyn thought she would had never found the witch's cottage on her own. The little patch of land was practically hidden from the trees alone, and the illusions placed there by Angrboda made it possible to only stumble across it by chance. The stone walls had looked a lot less formidable than Thrym's fort had been, but surprisingly the inside was warmer. Sigyn felt instant warmth the moment they shut the heavy door behind them and cut off the wind. A fire was burning in the hearth in the middle of the structure, probably preserved through magical means, as it was nowhere close to fading.

'Make yourself at home.' Angrboda said pleasantly.

Sigyn was not entirely free of suspicion towards the Jotun. If anything, after seeing Ironwood she was reminded of what was easy to forget while behind the walls of Asgard, that this was a dangerous woman. Dangerous and unpredictable. Still it was probably too late for that, so she took a seat on a bench right next to the hearth and accepted the drink the giantess offered her. But she could not make herself drink it. Because Angrboda lived in a dark treacherous forest, and she did not fear the wolves, and as time passed Sigyn was starting to think that maybe the wolves feared her. And it started to really sink in that it had all been a really bad idea. She looked down at the drink –warm spiced wine- and swallowed. _Definitely poisoned._ Her mind supplied, verging towards paranoia.

'Is there something wrong?' Angrboda asked, observing her.

'I…I feel slightly light headed.' She lied.

'Oh…The magic and the walking can be taxing, especially if you're not used to it. Have you eaten anything today?'

Sigyn shook her head. _Oh no._ She realized too late that this defeated the whole purpose of refusing the drink. She shot up and followed after Angrboda who had disappeared into the kitchen. 'You should not get in all the trouble.' She tried.

Angrboda was already rummaging through the cupboards and shelves, gathering utensils and ingredients. 'No trouble at all.' She said over her shoulder, not breaking away from the task.

'I should help you.' Sigyn insisted.

'You are my guest, you are not supposed to help, you are supposed to sit down and make yourself comfortable.' Angrboda said, slightly more aggressively than it fit the situation.

Maybe it was that aggression, maybe it was the meat cleaver coincidentally held in the Jotun's hand, which she shook slightly to accentuate her words. Either way, Sigyn swallowed down her paranoia and the entire cup of wine. It was good wine, the kind that was sweet and easy to go down. It gave Sigyn a feeling of warmth, without the excessive burn of alcohol that was unpleasant to her. She eagerly accepted a second cup, and would accept more just as eagerly as the evening wore on.

In Angrboda's experience people became happier, and thus much easier to manipulate the more they drank. It became apparent pretty soon that Sigyn was no exception. By the time they had finished eating and moved to sit by the hearth, her suspicion was replaced by drunk openness. Angrboda smiled to herself, as she watched her talk animatedly about something. She was not really paying attention to what, but rather observing the younger woman herself. Sigyn was more than a little flushed, but even as she gestured excitedly while she talked she never raised her voice too much. _This is going to be too easy_ , the Jotun realized, _and not half unpleasant._

Angrboda leaned in closer, completely disregarding personal space, in a casual manner that made the gesture seem natural. Sigyn stopped what she was saying and stared at her uncertainly.

'You shouldn't stop talking.' Angrboda said, barely above a whisper. 'I like listening.' She gently brushed a stray lock of hair away from Sigyn's face, and let her hand rest on her cheek, rather than pulling it away. Sigyn did not shy away from the touch. Her breath came out shaky, but she did not avert her gaze. The look in her eyes was hazy, unfocused. To Angrboda, it was inviting. She closed the small distance between them in one fluid motion and pressed her lips against the younger woman's.

For a moment neither of them was sure whether Sigyn would respond. With her inhibitions all but gone, and her mind desperately seeking a distraction stronger than alcohol, the urge to do so was overwhelming. It felt good, and that should be enough. She pushed Angrboda away, gently but firmly, and lowered her head. 'That's not right.' She muttered shakily.

Angrboda felt a stab of indignant irritation. 'Because I am a woman?' She asked. 'You know I'm a shapeshifter, I don't have to be one.'

'Because you're not _my_ woman.' Sigyn managed.

Angrboda laughed at that. 'I am not anyone's woman, never have, never will.'

'I cannot be like that.' Sigyn's tone was verging on apologetic. 'You are like that, and Loki's like that, but I just can't.' She could feel her face heat up and attempted to hide it in her palms. 'If I am doing this, I can't even imagine what he will be like after we...after...' She trailed off.

'Why care about what Loki does? You should hate him!' Angrboda snapped.

'But I don't!' Sigyn could not hide the tremor in her voice. She looked away in embarrassment.

Angrboda didn't reply, she just got up and poured Sigyn another cup of wine. By the time she was done Sigyn had regained some of her composure, although she still refused to look the Jotun in the eyes.

'I just don't understand.' Angrboda said calmly 'You have every right to be resentful, angry, even hate Loki. Why don't you?'

Sigyn stared down at her cup for a long minute, and then she emptied half of it in one go. 'I felt angry, and scared, and resentful at first. But...' She trailed off as her breathing started to speed up dangerously.

Angrboda was not sure how to react. She placed her hand on Sigyn's shoulder, in what she hoped was a reassuring manner. Sigyn finished the rest of her drink before continuing.

'Then I realized it was the first time I felt anything at all in a long time.' She kept her voice from breaking with difficulty.  
'I came to Jotunheim for the first time, you know. Tricked a king, searched for powerful magic, jumped off a cliff...' She paused and let out an undignified giggle she would never make while sober. 'I am not looking forward to ever doing something like this again. But I... I just got up and did it.' For all her concentration, the dreaded tears found their way down her face. She felt ashamed, but it was impossible to stop.  
'I am not sure how long ago it was, if I was ever even without it...' The strained words were on the verge of becoming sobs. 'I just grew afraid of people, so I distanced myself from them. I had my books and magic. And then, when I became afraid of my own feelings, I distanced myself from those too...' The more she talked the more the slur in her voice became apparent. 'I had settled for not feeling bad for so long, I'd forgotten what it was like to feel good. I-I have a good life. No problems. No reason to be unhappy.' She broke down, any further words dissolved into incoherent sobs.

Angrboda had not expected any of this, even if her initial plan failed, that was beyond what she had been prepared to deal with. Beyond what she had been willing to deal with. But in a strange way, she understood. The feelings that Sigyn was grasping to convey. She wrapped her arm around the crying goddess's shoulders and pulled her closer. Small as she was, it almost felt like comforting a child. 'A life without problems is not a good one.' She said in an attempted soothing tone. 'Sometimes it can be the saddest. And I think I understand now, why you are not hateful towards Loki.'

A choked up sound that could had been "why?" escaped Sigyn.

'Because after a very long time, he made you-albeit indirectly- feel alive.'

The confirmation of a connection Sigyn had already made deep down did nothing to slow down the flood of emotion. If anything, her sobbing intensified. All the while, she clung to Angrboda for dear life.

'It's alright.' The Jotun tried.

Nothing but sniffling sobs in response.

'I don't have an infinite patience reserve.' Angrboda muttered. 'Please try to calm down.' She tried again, awkwardly.

More drunken sobbing.

That went on for approximately twenty minutes, during which Angrboda's sympathy turned into annoyance. She finally had enough and detached herself from the sobbing goddess to stand up. 'Get a grip al-'

She never got to finish her sentence as the moment she stood Sigyn fell over. Angrboda caught her before she could fall off the bench. On the bright side, she had stopped crying, but it was apparent now that she was unwell. Angrboda cursed under her breath because of course she would be the one Vanir that could not hold her drink. 'Can you sit straight?' She asked.

Sigyn attempted to shake her head, which made her head spin more than it already did. She groaned and shut her eyes in an attempt to ward the dizziness off. If Angrboda let go of her she would most likely end up on the floor. The Jotun was baffled, Sigyn had been talking not that long ago, and now without having had any more drinks she could not even support herself. Could it really have such a delayed effect?

'I don't really know what to do with you.' She finally said, making a decision. She leaned Sigyn against the table and walked off, only to return carrying the younger woman's coat and cloak, along with the extra garments she had brought with her in her pack. Rather than putting them on the uncooperative goddess, she merely wrapped them around her like a multitude of tiny blankets. She then proceeded to scoop her in her arms, which was hardly a challenge to the Jotun. Sigyn made a noise of protest.  
'I am not keeping you here the whole night in that state.' Angrboda explained, even though Sigyn was probably beyond listening at the moment. She hoped the cold would bring the Vanir some sobriety as she walked towards the door. Five steps out in the snow, Sigyn was asleep in her arms, huddled close to her for warmth.

The forest was still, and now pitch dark. Angrboda didn't really need the light, she could make her way to the cave by memory alone. At the edge of the clearing of her cottage she stopped. She would had noticed the shadow moving behind the trees sooner, was she not occupied with the woman in her arms. She backed off towards her house, and waited. It did not take long before the wolf emerged from behind the trees. It was too big even for the wolves of Jotunheim, its head level with Angrboda's chest. Its fur was an unblemished white that almost glowed in the moonlight. It approached Angrboda, its eyes not on her but the woman in her arms. It lowered its ears and stared intently at her, lips slightly drawn in half a snarl.

Angrboda looked from the wolf to Sigyn. For a fleeting moment darker thoughts crossed her mind, but she quickly dismissed them. 'Not this one, love.' She told the wolf.

It relaxed his jaws and canted its head in question. There was unquestionable intelligence in its eyes.

Angrboda could not help a smile. 'If you killed this one, I think it would make your father sad.'

The wolf let out a whimper, the kind of sound a young cub would make. Then again, despite its size it was not that old. It wagged its tail and shuffled on its feet excitedly.

'You miss him don't you, Fenrir? You are not angry with him either.' Angrboda looked back down at Sigyn for a moment.

Fenrir yelped, as if to confirm her words, and flopped down on his side, tail still wagging.

Angrboda chuckled and leaned closer to place one hand on the wolf's head, it was easy enough to balance Sigyn with one arm. 'You changed your look again.' She noted. His fur changed colour often, mostly according to the season. His eyes, however, always remained the same shade of green.

He panted in what seemed like a content manner, and took advantage of the closeness to investigate Sigyn's sleeping form. The latter shifted uncomfortably and made a whiny sound.

'I must take her home, but I will be back soon. Will you stay?' Angrboda asked. She locked eyes with the wolf, and what she saw made her smile. She readjusted the weight in her arms and sauntered off towards the woods. 'I will be back soon, child.' She called behind her, before disappearing in the trees.

* * *

 **ah yes, chapter six, or as i like to call it; everyone being agressively bisexual**


	7. Hangatyr

**A/N: Warning, there is some swearing in this one. Also you know how a song has a title and you never hear the title during the song, or you kinda do but its towards the end and not satisfactory? That's me naming this chapter.**

* * *

 **7\. Hangatyr**

Loki often had trouble sleeping. He would get restless, kept awake by his own thoughts, and occasionally nightmares. Morning was a much better time for sleeping anyway; everything annoying happened in the morning.

But in that particular night, his inability to sleep had nothing to do with anxiety. And even if it did, that anxiety had nothing to do with a certain Vanir woman. That's what Loki kept telling himself, because honestly, _why would he care?_ _No_. Loki did not care what Angrboda said about him to anyone, and he certainly didn't care what Sigyn thought. Or if she was alright. Not like she was in any true danger anyway, so she would be alright. _Wouldn't she?_

He would probably not had heard the subtle knock on his door had he been asleep. He jolted out of bed and quietly made his way to the door. He could hear no voices outside, which was unusual, an emergency in Asgard typically involved shouting. Another knock, more urgent than the previous one, but still hushed. _Alarming._ Loki felt the familiar burn of magic building up, ready to lash out at whoever was behind that door. He warily swung it open, and exhaled in relief, which was quickly replaced by curiosity. Loki had certainly not expected to see Angrboda, carrying an unconscious Sigyn in her arms. The giantess had a small frown in her face that Loki was not sure whether to interpret as concern or annoyance.

'Did you kill her?' He asked nonchalantly. It was perfectly obvious that the Vanir was breathing –quite noisily- but after the display of sentiment earlier Loki had to reaffirm that he really did not care about anyone.

Angrboda rolled her eyes. 'I _am_ tempted.' She grunted. 'For all the trouble. But no, she simply cannot handle her drink. _At all._ ' She kept her voice down, and Loki felt inclined to do the same.

'Fascinating. What does that have to do with me?'

'I am not keeping her home sick like that.' Angrboda protested.

'Alright. But you know she does not live here.' Loki retorted.

'She is your responsibility, and it's about damn time you start owning up to it. You take her in, or I leave her like this on your porch, you decide which option looks worse.' The giantess raised her voice dangerously, and the woman in her arms whimpered in her sleep.

Loki winced and stared hopelessly between the two women for a moment. 'Alright, just, keep it down.' He hissed.

Angrboda placed the miraculously still asleep goddess in Loki's arms. He did not vocally protest, but he fixed Angrboda with an icy glare. She took a step back, and she could not help a nasty smirk.

'Now that's better.' she said 'And Loki?'

'What?' he snapped.

'Put some clothes on.' She grinned widely at his incredulous expression, and then she turned her back and disappeared down the dark street.

Loki rushed back inside and pushed the door closed behind him. He had no idea how Angrboda had done it, but there was no way he could just carry Sigyn all the way to her own rooms unnoticed. And it was the last thing he wanted to be noticed doing at the moment.

While Loki was thinking feverishly, Sigyn looked completely snug and comfortable in his arms, in a sleep too deep to be disturbed by anything. In fact, it was almost disconcerting how heavily under she was. Loki observed her, and a sliver of worry found its way among all the irritation and anger. He sighed and adjusted her in his arms. She was really easy to carry, but he'd rather get her off his hands, both literally and figuratively.

'Roskva.' He called out. Sigyn stirred uneasily, and even opened her eyes for a moment, but she did not wake up. He was starting to wonder whether he should summon a healer.

Roskva emerged out of her room a few minutes later, groggy and confused. 'What is going on?' She asked when she took in the scene in front of her.

'Do we have any guest bedrooms?'

'We have three. It's your house, you should know.'

'Alright great, we need to put her in one.' He urged.

'But only one is available and not filled with things.' The girl commented.

'Fine, then that one.' Loki said irritated.

'But, that one is mine…' She protested.

Loki said something under his breath in a language Roskva did not understand. She understood the tone well enough though. Just as she was ready to give up her bedroom, Loki turned and headed upstairs.

'Fuck it.' He muttered, and walked to his own bedroom. Roskva followed suit.

Loki placed the passed out goddess in his bed, and tucked her in without bothering to do anything about all the excess clothing she had on from Jotunheim. By the time Roskva caught up he was already halfway into being decently covered himself.

'Is she-'

'Just passed out drunk.' Loki reassured while pulling a shirt on. He was familiar with both being drunk and other drunks, and after a closer inspection he could see all the symptoms.

'Oh.' The servant muttered. 'I can stay with her.' She offered. She was still slightly worried. And besides, Loki's bed was really comfortable, more than hers.

'Thank you.' Loki said, and took a few steps back. But then, instead of leaving the room he stayed in place, studying the sleeping woman. Roskva did not say anything, she just switched glances between them, unsure what to do. When Loki caught her eyes his look was nearly guilty.

'I-I feel like if I leave she will die or something.' He muttered. 'She seems so…fragile.' His expression was troubled.

Roskva nodded in agreement with the sentiment. Eventually Loki sat on the edge of the bed, while Roskva climbed in. It was actually big enough to comfortably fit all three of them, so it was not hard keeping a distance. They stayed like that, watching over Sigyn in silence for a long while. Then, without a warning, Loki shot up, startling Roskva.

'This gets really boring after ten minutes.' He announced.

'Yes.' Roskva agreed. 'And I think she will be alright.' She reassured. Only then did Loki finally turn to leave. The girl did not think there was any point in telling him it had actually been half an hour.

* * *

Eira was not one to waste the morning away sleeping. Part of it was the alertness that came with being a healer, ready to be summoned at any possible time. But as far, her morning had been quiet and serene. The infirmary was adjacent to her own house, but there was no clear line separating the two when it came to the various vials and jars containing all forms of ingredients or medicine, those were scattered everywhere in an almost chaotic fashion. She was on the task of rearranging a shelf of those when she heard the knock on her door. Deduction or instinct, she tended to know who it was on her door before even answering. She sighed softly.

'Come in.'

Loki entered meekly, as if just walking into the healer's house would make him sick. He greeted her and asked her whether it was a good time. Eira nodded. She could pick up the tell-tale signs of fatigue from a single glance at the Jotun.

'Need something to help you sleep?'

Loki was startled by her observation. 'I- No, I don't want anything for myself.'

'Oh. For whom then?' It was her turn to get startled. It was unusual for Loki to willingly visit even for himself, let alone for someone else.

He considered his answer, but the idea of lying was abandoned when he met Eira's sharp gaze. 'Lady Sigyn.'

Eira did not display any surprise. Out of all the questions that rose in her mind only one mattered. 'How is she?'

Loki explained the events of the previous night, and Sigyn's condition as best as he could. Eira listened attentively without interrupting.

'Are you certain she was merely drunk?' She asked in the end.

'She had not awakened yet when I left so I don't know most of what occurred yesterday, but nothing else seems wrong with her.'

Eira nodded thoughtfully. She walked over to the shelf she had been previously rearranging and took two small vials. She emptied the content of both in a larger one and shook it slightly. It had a curious blue tint. She handed the vial to Loki.

'She should drink this once she wakes up, and she should also drink a lot of water.' She instructed. 'Do you have any dried milk thistle? Or any white willow bark?'

'I don't know, Roskva takes care of these things.'

Eira sighed and rushed into a different room. She remerged carrying two small linen pouches. She handed those off as well. 'Make tea with a few spoonfuls of these. They will taste rather bad by themselves so maybe mix in some honey. And if anything at all seems wrong send for me immediately.'

Loki was practically pushed out the door before he could protest. 'Now get going, poor thing will need these if she wakes up.' Eira urged, and sent him off.

He sighed, and started the long walk back home. The hill upon which Loki's house stood was on the outskirts of the city, on the opposite direction of Valaskialf, Odin's Great Hall. It also was on the opposite direction of the infirmary and Eira's home. At times like these, he wished he had picked someplace closer.

He had just arrived at the foot of the hill when a hoarse cry stopped him in his tracks.

'Laufeyson you miserable son of a whore!' Thor was advancing from the general direction of Bilskirnir, and upon seeing Loki in his path he let out the string of obscenities and picked up his brisk pace.

 _And I haven't even had breakfast yet._ Loki mused. At that moment he appreciated anew the strategic position of his house, he was glad he had no neighbours to hear this, even though Thor's yells positively reached the other end of the city. This time, there was no Tyr and Frey to restrain Thor long enough for Loki to prove his innocence for whatever Thor was all incensed about. He was not even sure he was innocent this time, there was a thing or two Thor could had just caught up on. In a moment of inspiration, Loki broke into a run on the ascending path.

'Don't you run you little- '

Loki never got to hear whatever colourful description of him followed, he was running the last meters to his front door in full speed, his own heartbeat pounding in his ears. He threw the door open while running, and halted awkwardly once inside. He did not spare a look at the advancing Thunderer as he slammed the door shut and willed the protective wards to close. Magic or not, this door would not last long, but neither would Thor's rage. _Hopefully._ Loki leaned against the doorframe and concentrated on catching his breath. He did not immediately turn when he heard footsteps creaking down the stairs.

'Roskva, I think Thor wants to kill me again, so you will have to take-' His sentence fell short when he turned to find not his servant but Sigyn, looking every part the regretful hungover drunk.

'Shouldn't you be resting?' He asked.

At that moment Thor finally reached the door, which he started pounding at with a vengeance. 'Let me in Trickster, so I can strangle you with your own entrails!'

Sigyn winced, but she continued her descent. 'I have rested enough.' There was a lack of conviction. Then as an afterthought: 'Why does Thor want to kill you?'

Loki shrugged his shoulders and turned towards the door. 'Hey Thor, why do you want to kill me?' He shouted.

Suddenly the noise stopped, thankfully for Sigyn. All the commotion was not helping her headache. As she waited for an answer Loki handed her a vial of blue liquid. 'Eira gave me this, drink it, you'll feel better.' He told her and she nodded and took the draught.

'You made me undergo the humiliation of pretending to be Thrym's bride.' Thor started, having gathered his wits.

'I thought we were already over- '

'All the while' The Aesir cut Loki off 'you actually have the ability to transform not just yourself, but others as well.'

 _Ah. That little detail._ Loki couldn't help grinning at himself, enjoying the private joke, private no longer.

'You could?' Sigyn asked in surprise. He only grinned wider in response.

'Why, dear nephew, I thought you would never realize.' Loki mocked, and as he did he actually unlatched the door and took a few steps back.

Thor entered the room like a hurricane, he did not seem to notice Sigyn's presence, and made straight for Loki, who still had the same amused expression. He seized the Jotun by the front of his shirt. 'I'll wipe that grin off your face you fuckin-'

'That is no way to talk in front of a lady.' Loki cut him off, seemingly otherwise unperturbed.

Only then did Thor seem to realize they were not alone in the room, and as he did colour drained from his face to be replaced with a bright pink. He released his grip on Loki and turned towards his half-sister with an expression that was part confused part embarrassed.

'I-it- why?' The great Thunderer stammered in a childish fashion that Loki found almost as endearing as the profanities.

'Now, that's something we all want to hear, isn't it?' Loki suggested.

Thor spared him a dirty look, but nothing more. The Aesir's attention had been successfully redirected towards the woman, leaving Loki unscathed, and if anything pleased with himself. Sigyn was quick to realize she had been used as a diversion, ridiculously easily too. Thor advanced toward his half-sister, and only then seemed to notice she was not in a good state. His observation powers did not go as far as recognizing a bad hangover for what it was though.

'Little sister, what has happened to you?' He asked with genuine concern, and then proceeded to draw his own conclusions before the Vanir had had a chance to reply. 'Has that she-serpent wife of his hurt you?' He glowered at Loki as if somehow it was his fault.

Sigyn hastily replied before Thor could go after Loki again. 'No, Angrboda has done nothing to harm me, except perhaps allowing me to drink more than I can handle.'

'She is not my wife.' Loki added drily. 'Not anymore.' His voice lacked the usual venom it had when he talked about Angrboda.

'Oh…' Thor muttered. 'Still, you seem unwell.' He declared and tried to steer her towards an armchair 'You should sit and rest.'

She indulged him with a little roll of her eyes that only Loki was able to catch.

'You know, you awfully resemble Frey right now, the way you are fretting over your sister.' Loki teased.

Thor turned to look at him with a meaningful expression of distaste.

'Oh, not that part of course.' Loki added. There were certain things the Vainr did that the Aesir wouldn't, and for a moment the Trickster was left wondering which persuasion Sigyn would be of. Even though officially a Vanir, she had more than a few Aesir traits that could be attributed to her father.

Even though Loki's house was not a proper hall like those of the other Aesir lords, it was spacious in its own right. Despite owning a rather large dining hall, he preferred to move everyone to the little snug kitchen that comfortably fit the three of them plus Roskva, who had been skulking around there ever since the initial fight had broken out. Now the girl was set on preparing breakfast while Loki and his guests were occupying the small round table and talking animatedly. Or rather, their talk resembled more an interrogation, with Sigyn as the unfortunate victim.

There were things spoken the previous night with Angrboda that she was resolute to keep to herself, and thus explaining how she ended up drinking so carelessly was not easy. Between having to expose herself a second time as she had to Angrboda, and a flippant lie that would portray her as childish and reckless, Sigyn chose a third option. She outright stated that what she had discussed with the Jotun, which she reassured both men had nothing to do with either – a little lie on Loki's case- was not something she was willing to repeat. In the end her explanation had seemed satisfactory, and she too turned to Loki to ask about after she had passed out. Loki also opted for ignoring certain embarrassing parts of his conversation with Angrboda. Between the two of them, they reached to a conclusion as to the entire story that was satisfactory enough to present to the Allfather, who had undoubtedly by now learned she had returned.

'As for you, my friend,' Loki turned to Thor after a few moments of silence between the three of them. 'let me explain something that seems to have offended you so.'

Thor had momentarily forgotten his reason for being there in the first place, but as he remembered a shadow crossed his face anew.

'Aside from transforming myself, more an innate ability than a spell, transforming objects, animals and even people is something I can do.'

Thor made to speak but Loki held up his hands. 'But, the more complex something is, the more free will and their own kind of magic they have, the harder it is for me to do it. Now you, you have both the storm magic of your Jotun mother and the magic of the Aesir from your father, despite the lack of will or talent to utilize either properly.' There was slight derision there, the one shared by people of less power and more talent for those with the opposite combination.

'And a thing you lack is the Jotnar's sense of duplicity, that which allows us to comfortably slip into a different form.' Loki continued. 'You are unchanging in a way, both from being protected by an enormous amount of raw power that would counter mine, and by not really being willing to shift. I mean, you threw a fit about shaving your beard, I don't think you would had taken well to growing breasts on top of it. So it was not so much an attempt to degrade you, but rather, I don't think someone who has shapeshifter blood –yes your mother was a shapeshifter too- and yet cannot do it by himself is meant to be turned at all.'

When Loki finished his long explanation Thor shook his head knowingly. 'So, basically, you just could not handle it.' He said with an academic air.

Loki sighed indignantly. 'I could had done it, but I could not had guaranteed what the result would be. In the end how a spell works is not entirely in the hands of the one who casts it. If only you were not so oblivious to matters of magic you could understand as much.'

'Basically, ' Sigyn turned to her brother, also annoyed with his dismissive manner towards what was her practicing art 'no one could tell whether the breasts would go away when you were eventually turned back into a man. I think Loki was kind enough not to attempt it despite how much it would undoubtedly amuse him.'

Loki laughed, deciding he wanted to have her on his side in more arguments.

'More like out of self-preservation.' Thor grumbled.

'It would be a legacy worth dying for.' Loki argued playfully. 'I am just way too nice to you.'

'Or you could had made sure to also bind that ridiculous strength of his, under the pretence of making him more ladylike.' Sigyn joined in.

'That's true. After all no one likes a girl that can throw them across the room in a fit of anger.' Loki agreed.

Thor resigned to the teasing, unable to handle the double assault. 'You do, do you not Laufeyson?'

'Maybe a beautiful Jotun woman,' Loki agreed 'but not so much an ugly girl Thor.' He exaggerated a shudder.

Sigyn giggled at the mental image –which was frighteningly close to the actual memory- and at that Thor seemed almost happy to provide the comedy, even at his own expense. Loki observed the bigger man and smiled a cryptic little smile. He was reminded at that moment why he would never play such a harmful trick on Thor, and why he would always follow him in his reckless quests and adventures. All the Aesir had to do was ask, and Loki would probably do it, despite the illusion that he actually demanded persuasion. He liked Thor for all the things he was that Loki wasn't, loud, honest, mulishly stubborn, with a strong sense of justice, but ultimately unconditionally forgiving to his friends and loved ones.

'Oi! Do they call you Skywalker because you have your head in the clouds all the time?' Thor snapped Loki out of his musings. At that moment Loki found it impossible to hold on to his moodiness of the past days, and he returned the playful banter in kind. They went on for a while, enjoying the first truly carefree morning for all three of them after many stressful days.

* * *

In the throne room of Eldjundir, the great dark palace of Niflheim- now named Helheim after its mistress, said mistress sat in quiet contemplation. Hel had a rule not to concern herself with the affairs of the living. But she could not help being half alive any more than she could help being half dead. And so, while her living eye she used to watch over her domain, where the inglorious dead lay in wait for Ragnarok, her left eye she turned towards the realm of the living. There, a particular presence had drawn her attention some months ago. It was one highly unnatural for many reasons. It had around it the air of death that Hel usually witnessed around people about to pass, and at the same time an unrelenting vitality, a ravenous hunger for life that stemmed from things darker than just content. Yet she could not see its soul any more than her undying eye could see faces and forms. For the first time for what had seemed the beginning of a very long eternity, Hel felt the old feeling of fear in her stomach.

She had kept a watchful eye on it ever since, and had contemplated at times to notify the Allfather about it. The diplomatic understanding she had with the old man was not something her parents ever knew about, and in the end it was them that had prevented her from exercising it. When a few days prior, that very presence had crossed paths with her mother. Shortly after, Angrboda had after a long time paid a visit to Asgard and the husband she no longer welcomed to her home. Hel's suspicions of a connection between the two were confirmed when immediately after her mother and the magically powerful stranger had met again. Hel could not afford to take any rash actions, so she remained in deep pondering.

It was a visitor, a rare thing in the lands of the dead that eventually pulled her out of it. The raven that landed on the armrest of her throne was there not to carry a message, but to announce its master's arrival.

'Tell Modgudr I order her to let your master pass.' She told the bird, and it flew off.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed, time itself was a concept a lot more fluid in Helheim, and was just as space, if to a lesser degree, subject to the goddess's whims. However she knew stalling would not help, and so she allowed her visitor to reach Eldjundir. After that, the misty hall itself would show him the way to Hel's throne room.

Odin looked weary and worn out, an effect the realm could have on any visitors that were not yet dead. Then again, the very same effect could come from worry. Still, even in his raggedy travelling clothes there was something unmistakably powerful about the man. His one eye twinkling with the kind of deceitful intelligence her father was known and mistrusted for. Strangely Odin was trusted by many thanks to the same thing. Maybe, like Loki had said once half in jest, it was because the old man was better at it. She shook her head and with that the cumbersome thoughts.

'Welcome to my Halls, Hangatyr.' She addressed, her courtesy even though cold still sounded mocking.

There were three questions Hel always asked him whenever he visited, so he just bowed his head in earnest respect and waited for them.

'Would you have anything to eat or drink?' Her first question was the one every host is obliged to ask, and at the same time a gesture of clear mockery. If someone accepted food or drink in the realm of the dead, that person would be obliged to accept its hospitality for eternity.

Odin played along and shook his head regretfully. 'Thank you, Lokisdottir, but I will have to decline.'

The name he used for her was more respectful than the one she had used for him, and yet its purpose was the same, to scathe under false politeness. Despite that she asked her customary second question, the one Odin was sworn not to repeat, and the only bit of personal indulgence she ever allowed herself.

'Speaking of,' she tried to sound nonchalant 'how is my father?'

'Do you ask me because you don't want to ask him?' Odin pushed the limits of her tolerance, but not so much as to demand the true reason she asked at all. That he already knew.

'I ask you, Grimnir, because you know him, sometimes better than he knows himself.'

'He is as he has always been. Sharp in every matter, but the ones close to his heart.' He let out a sigh of genuine exasperation. 'To those he remains stubbornly blind.'

Hel did not expect a different answer, and yet she shared the Aesir's feelings in the matter. Formalities almost over, she asked the last, the most important question. 'What brings you so far from where you have any power over, Ásagrimmr?'

'I would seek your counsel, even though you keep yourself apart from the affairs of the other realms. Because of that you may be able to see things I cannot, and offer a judgement that is closer to the truth.'

Hel was also grave, and not in the mood for pointless barter, so after a drawn out moment she said: 'As I would seek yours, Grimnir.' She rose from her throne. 'But understand, I may not be able to give you all the information you seek.'

'That is quite alright.' He agreed and followed her out of the grand room, into a smaller one, and much more welcoming to a still breathing visitor. There was a fire burning in the fireplace that chased a lot of the cold and dampness away, as well as comfortable padded seats. Hel had no need for rest or warmth, and yet she seated herself first and then inclined to Odin to do the same.

'Would it be terribly rude, if I allowed myself my own drink?' He asked her once seated. She shook her head, and he produced a small flask from one of the pouches on his belt.

'Tell me then, what worries you.' Hel prompted.

Odin talked about Mjolnir's theft, of the unlikely culprit, and the shared suspicions of himself, his wife and his brother. He told her of the unknown powerful sorcerer that had been the source of his anxiety. And immediately her own anxiety grew, because there could not be that many people that could cause her or the Allfather unease, and it was more than a little likely it was the same person. And that same person was in some way conspiring with her mother.

Hel sighed. 'I may have noticed that sorcerer of yours.' As she said that Odin leaned closer, a sudden urgency in his posture. 'There is someone I have not been able to look at clearly, there is something unnatural about them. But…' She pondered on the thought for a moment, a suspicion that she had become more convinced of after hearing Odin speak of this person 'I don't think it's a "he".'

'And why is that?' Odin inquired.

'Because, the way she evades my gaze resembles that of someone who uses seidr to hide themselves, and there are not many men who would dare practice seidr.' She concluded with a meaningful look. She had not meant it as an insult, but with genuine respect.

Odin suddenly rose from his seat. 'You have helped me a great deal, I thank you, Hel daughter of Loki.' This time he too didn't mean disrespect with the mention of Loki. 'I shall take my leave of you and look at the matter with this new knowledge in mind.'

'Fare well, Odin Allfather.' She acknowledged his right to leave, and let Eldjundir lead him on his way. She was glad Odin had not asked more, because she was not willing to let her mother's involvement be known, or even suspected. And the old man was sly, Hel knew. Sometimes she thought he was the one that should be called "Trickster", for he had not only the cunning to deceive someone, but also the ruthlessness and resolve it took to see it to the end even more so than Loki actually did. That was one of those things she could see now, and had not before.

Her meeting with Odin had also helped her decide another thing, it was time to have a talk with her mother.

* * *

If Hel herself had been alerted, then the matter was graver than both Frigga and Loki had thought, and yet Odin walked out of Eldjundir with a lighter heart. _Hangatyr,_ she'd called him, the hanged god. It was a name he disliked because it reminded him of a time of uncertainty, when in order to gain knowledge he had to rely on faith. It was not challenge the old god feared, but not knowing, and he had just been brought one step closer to knowing. That is why even though the Asgardian sky was dark when he arrived back –having opted for walking the Bifrost rather than taking Sleipnir- it instantly dissolved his worry like a sunlit morning would. So, having learned patience years ago, he opted for enjoying it.

Despite the crisp cold he found himself unwilling to confine himself to the inside of his Hall just yet, or even the inside of Asgard's walls. He looked over his shoulder, where his two ravens soared low, a little over his head. He beckoned to them, and both came to perch on his shoulders.

'Huginn, Muninn, go find my brother and bring him to me.' He bid them. They flew off and Odin perched against the trunk of an old tree, bringing his coat closer to his body, and waited.

After learning that Odin was away Thor had insisted Loki and Sigyn should come to his house. He had even invited Roskva along, like he often did when Loki was gone for long periods of time. 'Your brother really wants to see you, and Sif will be happy to have you help her around.' He had told her.

Loki had discovered another pleasant thing about Sigyn, aside from a good partner for mercilessly teasing Thor, she also somehow made it a lot easier to him to spend time with both Thor and Sif. For a long time now there was tension between them, especially him and Sif. But now with Sigyn there time passed pleasantly. _Like the old times._ He had caught himself thinking, but then he corrected himself. _No, it's something entirely new, that's why it works._

They had all been sitting together, in Thor's mead hall, talking and exchanging stories, when the two ravens burst into the room with much unnecessary flourish. Conversation stopped short as everyone turned to look at Odin's infamous messengers.

'Seems dear brother is back.' Loki commented.

The two large birds glided over to their table and stood facing him. One of them –Loki could never tell them apart- crowed imperatively. Everyone on the table looked at him expectantly.

'Well they could really mean any of you. He might want to talk to Sigyn about last night, or need Thor for something-'

'Bull-shit' The other raven crowed. They did not talk often, but Loki never liked it when they did.

'Surely that was harder to say than "Loki", but point taken.' He said 'You little no-good rascals.' He muttered under his breath.

'Rascal! Rascal!' They both put the extra effort into showing Loki they had heard his offensive comment.

'Alright, let's go then.' He said resigned. _Ravens._ He thought with a huff. He took a moment to say goodnight to everyone, and then left the hall to answer Odin's summons.

Loki wasn't that surprised to see he wasn't being guided towards Valaskialf. Not even that he was being dragged all the way out of the walls. 'His majesty could not have come himself, no I must get my ass all the way out here.' He grumbled nevertheless.

By the time they reached Odin's resting spot, the two unfortunate birds had had enough of Loki for at least what was a normal raven lifespan. They left him with Odin and flew away indignantly, letting out a stream of sounds that Loki was sure were equal to flipping someone off in raven. He sat down next to the older god, and for a moment neither said anything.

'Do you have a pipe?' Loki asked abruptly.

'I thought you didn't smoke of late.' Odin commented.

'I don't.' Loki admitted. 'Because I don't have a pipe. I keep losing them somehow.' He shrugged. 'So do you have one?'

'Yes indeed I do.' Odin said. 'But I am out of leaf.'

Loki sighed wistfully.

'Exchange one bad habit for another?' Odin suggested. He offered up his flask which Loki accepted. After some swigs of what turned out to be spiced brandy, Loki turned to ask: 'So, what did you want to talk about?'

Odin hesitated for a moment. He observed his brother's face out of the corner of his eye. He looked calm. 'You have not taken to my daughter half as bad as I thought you would.'

Loki tensed, and for a moment made to push himself up. The reassuring weight of Odin's hand on his shoulder helped him calm himself down. 'She is much more tolerable than most of the Aesir.' He said. 'Along with your son she is the only one who doesn't fucking despise me.' He couldn't help but smile at the irony.

'Loki, they don't despise you, they fear you. She doesn't though, right enough.'

'Fear me? Why would they? Do they think I actually have more power than any of them? Or even the will to use it against them?' He pushed himself up and started pacing. 'Sometimes I cross the line, but I have never hurt anyone beyond mending.'

Odin also got on his feet. 'Because you are different.' He stated calmly.

'Different? So are the Vanir. So are Skadi, and Aegir, and Gerd, who are also Jotun like me.' There was an angry desperation in his voice.

It actually made Odin's chest heavy to hear his brother talk like that. He got up and gripped Loki's shoulders, stopping his pacing. 'You're not just different from them, but different from what they expect you to be. And everyone fears that which they cannot understand.' He spoke calmly, trying to soothe Loki as well.

Loki's shallow breathing returned to normal after a while. 'I really don't want it to happen.' He said, his eyes unfocused, almost like he was talking to himself.

'What do you not want to happen?'

Loki hesitated. 'The end of days.' He whispered. 'Ragnarok. I really don't-' He trailed off, eyes lowered to the ground. He didn't know what had gotten into him all of a sudden to talk about that.

'I know you don't.' Odin said firmly.

Loki lifted his head up and met his brother's unwavering look. 'Then please, don't ask of me anything more that I cannot give.'

That plea was enough to sway the Aesir, if only for a moment, to make him want with all his heart to promise that he wouldn't. But he was not selfish enough to indulge it, or perhaps he was too selfish.

'Brother,' he started, his tone affectionate and sad 'I don't want to hurt you any further, I really don't. But I cannot make any promises, not knowing what I know.'

'Why won't you tell me?' Loki snapped. 'If you were afraid an attempt to avoid it would fulfil this damn prophecy you would not be trying yourself, so why?'

'I am not trying to avoid it, I have come to accept this world cannot last forever. I just wish to delay the inevitable as much as possible through my actions. And I don't want to burden you with this knowledge. You have not accepted it Loki, not the fact that it will happen and not your involvement in it.'

'Sometimes I wish all I had to do for this wretched war was to die. But I don't, do I? Not until the very end.' Loki said miserably. 'I don't think I really want to know.' He added.

'How you die?' Odin wondered aloud.

'By whose hand and at whose side.' Loki replied. 'What makes me start this war in the first place.' He sat back down under the same tree, and at that moment, Loki truly looked his hundreds of years.

Again Odin followed him, and sat by his side. 'Treacherous things, prophecies.' He mused aloud. 'One can never rely on them to deliver as expected.' He threw his arm around Loki's shoulders, but the Jotun remained stiff. 'But I can always trust my brother to be a stubborn little fucker that won't ever do something unless he wants so, all reason be damned.'

Loki smiled despite himself, and let his posture relax. They had not talked like that in a long time, and he found he had actually missed it.

'So, let's not dwell on the end of the world, my friend, for we have both other problems close at hand.' Odin concluded.

'And I am starting to suspect you have burdened me with my latest one just for your own amusement.' Loki complained.

'If a wife is a problem, horse-mother, what do you call an enemy?' He teased.

'Probably my brother, Hangatyr.' Loki retorted.

'You know, that's what your daughter called me earlier.' Odin pointed out.

'She knows you hate it.' Loki smiled for a brief moment. It was a bittersweet smile, a mix of pride and guilt. The way he would always feel about his daughter. 'Anything else she told you?'

'A few things, I will tell you all about it once I've had some time to put my thoughts in order.'

Loki nodded. 'I really do wish we could have a smoke right now.' He said absent-mindedly.

* * *

 **So after writing like 60 fucking pages I break out all the profanity and the weird norse words. in case the latter need explaining**

 **Valaskialf** \- Name of Odin's Hall (not Valhalla, the other one)  
 **Bilskirnir** \- Name of Thor's Hall  
 **Eldjundir** \- Name of Hel's Hall (yes everyone has a "Hall" and everyone's Hall has a name which is impossible to remember or pronounce)  
 **Modgudr** \- A giantess that guards the bridge that leads to Eldjundir (I don't know much about her, no one knows much about her, she's just a bouncer really)  
 **Hangatyr-** One of Odin's names, means "the hanged god" (He does not like it much so Loki flaunts it around a lot and apparently so does Hel)  
 **Grimnir-** Another one of Odin's names (guy had like a hundred, some don't even make sense) it means "masked one" (ok that one kinda makes sense because eyepatch)  
 **Ásagrimmr-** You guessed it, another name for Odin, means "Lord of the Aesir" (that one makes the most sense of them all)  
 **Sleipnir-** Loki's eight legged horse kid, that he just gives to Odin to ride around, has a bunch of powers for traveling between realms and such (for those who didn't know)  
 **Seidr-** (not spelled exactly like that but fuck me) a kind of magic, considered "womanly" and forbidden to men (by men, because men have issues), Odin actually practices it

 **conclusion: Old norse consists of random jumbles of many consonants and few vowels (mostly u's) that most likely end in 'r' and Vikings had to fucking name everything.**


	8. The Goddess of the drowned

**8\. The Goddess of the Drowned**

Balder jolted awake with a start. It took a moment for his heartbeat to settle. Like every other time he'd had the same dream, he woke up covered in sweat and breathing heavily. He sighed and looked out the window. Dawn was just about to break.

He knew he should talk to someone about the recurring nightmare, preferably his mother. And yet to do so could validate something the young Aesir did not want to accept. The burden of premonition wasn't something he was ready to carry, and he didn't want what he saw to be a genuine glimpse of the future. This time he had almost seen the man's face. Every time the dream returned it was a step closer to the inevitable revelation. Balder didn't want to know.

He was already past the point of going back to sleep. For a moment he considered going to his wife, but she needed rest, that was why he had asked her to change bedroom in the first place. Of course he had told Nanna that the only reason for that was the baby, he had not mentioned his dreams. He didn't want to concern her, especially not in her state. He smiled to himself at the thought of her. Soon her pregnancy would start showing, and he wondered if anyone had noticed already. A couple of weeks had passed since they had found out themselves, and women especially tended to have an eye for those things even before they became obvious.

They'd wanted to announce it many times in the last few days, but it had never felt like the right time with everything going on. Then again, it could prove tricky to find a time when neither Loki nor some other Jotun were stirring trouble. The Aesir chuckled. He could not resent Loki, most of the times he didn't really get why so many did. But he guessed resentment was just not his thing, for if he was meant to resent someone, surely it would be the only person that always gave him a hard time.

He threw his covers aside and stretched. The sun had come up and light was spilling through the window. Despite winter nearing it was a warm morning. Balder generally liked mornings, but he loved ones like this the best. He smiled and climbed out of bed, eager for his wife to join him. Maybe today would finally be the day, he mused, a beautiful day to share beautiful news.

* * *

Loki groaned and buried his head under the pillow. He had forgotten to draw the curtains shut, and the morning light was blinding even behind closed eyelids. It was ridiculously hot and sunny for the time of year. The Jotun discarded his cover, only to end up with the unpleasant feeling of the sun baking his skin.

'It's supposed to be winter.' he muttered miserably. He tumbled out of bed and blindly found his way to the window. The thick double curtains -with the aid of an enchantment- turned the room blissfully dark and cool the moment they were drawn shut. Loki sighed and returned to bed. He sank back into a sleep that would go miraculously undisturbed by unwanted visitors.

When Loki woke up again the sky had turned into a proper winter grey, even though very few hours had passed. He liked that a lot better, unlike most residents of Asgard. He couldn't really understand what was so depressing about not having to deal with constant sweating and squinting. _Aesir_. He thought dismissively. He wondered whether Thor had something to do with the weather. His combination of immense power and poor control over it often caused his mood to affect it. But Thor could wait, Loki was more interested in hearing the news his brother had mentioned.

When Odin asked for "time to think things over" it rarely meant just one night, so after not finding him in Valaskialf Loki was not very optimistic about finding him in Asgard at all, but he still decided to try Fensalir anyway. Even if Odin was not there Frigga could very well know something, and even be convinced to share it. Unlike her husband's palace, Fensalir had nothing of the Aesir sense of grandeur. Plain stone, small doors and narrow dim corridors made it a lot less inviting than its warlord owned counterparts. There, Frigga was not a queen, but a seer and a sorceress immersed in her practice.

Loki found her in her workroom, contemplating a half-finished pattern on her loom. She didn't look up from what seemed to Loki like an incomprehensible patch of colours. Her textiles never made sense to others until they were completed, and they were only completed after the vision had come to either pass or perish. When the latter happened, sometimes they didn't make sense at all. There seemed to be a lot of gold woven in this one, clashing with a persistent blue.

'You won't find Odin in Asgard, you already know that.' She said abruptly.

'I've never known something ahead of its time.' Loki disagreed 'I can only guess and hope.' Different people showed different levels of affinity for premonition, and Loki's was practically non-existent. He was thankful for that.

'Nevertheless you are examining my work.' She noted. He always did, driven by curiosity. 'What do you think of this one?'

'That I wouldn't hang it on my wall.'

Frigga smiled despite herself. Unlike Odin she had held on to a more youthful appearance, and yet she exuded as much maturity, if not more. It was in her stance, and in her eyes, and in the way concern mingled with disapproval ever so often in her scowl, more like a mother than a judge. It had been the same as long as Loki had known her. She had seemed old even when she'd been very young, the same way Loki continued to seem young even as he was very old; not in appearance but in spirit.

'Would you join me for tea, or do you only wish to criticise my weaving?'

Loki was taken aback by the hint of playfulness in her words. She had been especially critical of him as of late, but she didn't seem to be in a chastising mood now. 'How could I refuse? But I never meant to insult your work.'

She got up and beckoned for Loki to follow her. 'I know exactly how you feel about my work.' She said cryptically. Loki's resentment for prophecies and foreknowledge was no secret, but that only increased his respect for those who could live with such a burden.

A fire was already burning in the fireplace of the parlour she led them in and the curtains were drawn open, letting whatever pale light there was spill in. Loki wondered whether she had been expecting him. His suspicion was strengthened when a servant entered unbidden carrying a tray with two mugs of steaming tea, and confirmed when he found the one that was handed to him to be excessively sweetened, the way he liked it and Frigga hated it. He eyed the mug in apprehension.

'Is it not to your liking?' She asked innocently. She didn't bother to hide her amusement.

'It is entirely to my liking.' It sounded more like a complaint.

After noticing that all the food that was brought out at that moment was of the sweet variety though, he felt less begrudging towards Frigga's foreknowledge. He decided to busy himself with a slightly excessive amount of fruit cakes, letting Frigga take her time with whatever she wanted to say. Just as with the tea and food, the goddess had prepared her words beforehand.

'Odin has gone to Midgard, as he frequently does to think, without sharing his concerns with me.' she started.

'I wouldn't be here if he had told _me_.' Loki pointed out.

Frigga nodded. 'But it seems he was right, what happened in Jotunheim was not the last of it, but the beginning.'

Loki felt a sense of dread creep in his chest. With Frigga, speculations were hardly ever only that. 'The beginning of what?'

'That seems to be far beyond my reach right now. But Loki...' she hesitated 'every time I tried to see more, my thoughts wandered instead to you.'

Loki's appetite was lost along with any sense of comfort at this point. He avoided meeting the Seer's eyes, in an attempt to hide his unease. 'What of me?' He managed to sound nonchalant.

'I don't know.' She admitted 'The line between prophecy and my own concerns isn't always clear.'

'What _do_ you know?' Loki snapped. He already was involved in more ominous prophecies than he cared to.

Frigga was aware of that, and more. Enough to be able not to begrudge him his temper. 'I know that it is your present that certainly concerns me.' She replied calmly.

Loki finally met her eyes with an angry challenging stare. 'What about my present?' He asked coldly.

Frigga didn't relent. In truth it unnerved her a little, when Loki directed this cold sort of anger at her. But she couldn't afford to let that show. 'You have been too agreeable with everything, and I know you are not. You're angry, and dejected, and a storm waiting to break out.' she said evenly. 'At this point I am concerned for Sigyn-'

'Don't you dare bring her into this!' Loki snarled, cutting her off. He shot up from his chair but remained on his side of the table. 'She has nothing to do with my anger, you know that's on you. You and Odin and whoever else had a hand in this. Sigyn is probably the one who had the least say in it. It's way too generous of her that she even speaks to you.'

Frigga was stunned, but not because of the aggression. That she had expected with more certainty than anything she could foresee. 'It is Odin you should be taking this up with, right enough.' she managed.

'You bet I will, but don't act like it was all on him. What are your reasons?' He demanded.

'My reasons are my own.' Frigga said with a finality in her tone.

Loki pushed his chair back so forcefully it tumbled over. 'Well your reasons don't matter anyway.' he spat angrily 'And neither do your lies. You are not concerned for her, if you were you wouldn't had agreed to this.'

'If not her, what is it that makes you so angry?' Frigga asked, doing her best to keep her voice level.

Loki paused for a moment, breathing heavily, gripping the edge of the table tight enough for his knuckles to go white. He opened his mouth to retort.

'If you accuse me of lying then tell the truth.' She warned before he even had the chance. 'Have you even thought about what the truth is?'

Loki never said what he'd been about to. 'You went and decided for me behind my back.' He said instead, in a quieter voice. 'Suddenly you are all concerned... Why weren't you concerned before, when you had time to ask me?' As he said it Loki realised that perhaps even more than their infuriating entitlement, it was the feeling of betrayal that he couldn't stand.

He never waited for an answer. The air had become way too stifling, and his own words were leaving a bitter taste in his mouth he needed to wash out. Before he could say or hear things he would later regret, Loki fled from the queen's presence.

Even in his distracted state, he found his attention shifting to the other two people in the room the moment he stepped in the entrance hall. Balder and Nanna were standing by one of the small windows, gazing out and talking to each other. They had not noticed Loki's presence. Unable to resist the opportunity, he silently inched closer, not hiding but not making his presence known.

'…so dreary and grey.' Nanna was complaining.

'It was a lot nicer just a few hours ago, warm and sunny…It changed so suddenly.' Balder said wistfully.

'Almost like the weather doesn't follow our whims and moods.' Loki exclaimed, a few steps behind the unsuspecting couple.

They both turned around startled, surprise written on their faces. Balder recovered first, giving Loki an amiable smile. 'It does if you are Thor.' He commented.

'Loki! How about a warning next time?' Nana chided, with a disapproving glare. What drew Loki's attention however, was the hand still clutched protectively over her abdomen, even as her initial shock subsided.

'I'm sorry, I shouldn't had startled you.' He said, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. 'Especially not in your condition.'

The goddess's eyes widened in surprise, even though her husband seemed more impressed than shocked. 'Who told you?' Nanna demanded, throwing Balder a sideways glance full of suspicion. He was the only logical suspect.

Loki let the tell-tale smirk play on his face. 'You just did.' He replied with no small amount of self-satisfaction. Any other day, he would had been amused at her distress, but now he let his expression soften. 'Congratulations to you both.' He said sincerely. And then, as an afterthought 'I won't be telling anyone before you do.'

'Thank you.' Balder said, and Loki let them be. Motherhood was one of the few things he respected unconditionally, and he wouldn't allow himself to take his frustration out on the couple this time.

 _No,_ in fact the perfect person to take his frustration out on was currently away from Asgard. By the time Loki had left Fensalir, he had already come up with plenty of ideas on how to do that.

* * *

Sigyn had thought she'd been doing well in Asgard. Better than at home in any case. But now she was starting to realise that wasn't true. She closed the book she had been trying to read, she'd been on the same page for minutes, not seeing any of the words. The truth was, she'd just been distracted. Distracted by the sudden changes, by all the trouble stirring, by Loki…

But now the ever familiar fear was creeping in again. The absurd need for distance and solitude, which she loved and hated at the same time. Like always it would start as a few evenings alone. It was scary how the evenings turned to weeks, and before she could notice time would start passing in a grey blur. She shivered and looked at the cold fireplace. She had dismissed Erika earlier, unable to stand her presence. The handmaiden tried her best to be considerate, and Sigyn felt obliged to respond positively, which she couldn't muster up. She regretted having dragged the girl with her to Asgard, she probably deserved better than her.

A knock on the door interrupted what was bound to be a train of unpleasant thoughts. 'Come in.' She called after a moment of hesitation.

The kitchen boy pushed the door open and hovered reluctantly under the doorframe. She beckoned him and he gingerly stepped into the room. 'I was told to deliver a message.' The boy said with a distinctive lack of an actual page's courtesy.

'Thank you.' Sigyn said and accepted the folded piece of paper. The boy managed an awkward bow and all but ran off, barely remembering to pull the door behind him.

"Come to the grove next to Idunn's. Bring your rune-stick." Was all it read, with no signature. It was not hard to guess who it was from. Out of the very few people she was familiar enough with in Asgard, there was only one to whom this absurd request and messy handwriting could belong to.

'The message could at least had included the reason.' Sigyn grumbled to herself. She stubbornly put the note down and tried to focus on reading again. _I decided to spend the evening alone and I will._ She thought to herself, in a desperate attempt to drown her curiosity down.

An hour later she was begrudgingly trudging through the trees and the unkempt undergrowth. The thicket of trees seemed to be one step before abandonment. A few paths carved among the tall grass were the only sign anyone was taking care of it.

Loki was sitting against a tree trunk with his eyes closed. He looked asleep. 'You sure took your time.' He said suddenly.

'What do you want?' She cut right to the point.

Loki pushed himself up in one fluid motion. 'An accomplish.' He replied cheerfully. 'Preferably an upstanding citizen beyond suspicion, who is well versed in magic.'

'An accomplish for what?' Sigyn asked suspiciously.

'Since Odin is away it's a great opportunity to get him back for a thing or two, don't you agree?' Loki grinned.

'I can't believe he actually trusts you.' She scoffed.

'The man trusts a guy with golden teeth, you think trusting me is strange?'

Sigyn rolled her eyes. 'Heimdall doesn't play childish tricks on people.'

Loki was about to respond when he noticed she was holding the note he had sent her. He snatched the paper away. 'This is evidence you know, you're supposed to dispose of it.' As he said that the paper burst in flames in his hand, and in a few seconds there was nothing left of it but ashes.

'I haven't agreed to help you.' She pointed out.

'Well, witnesses are a bit harder to dispose of than evidence. Thankfully you can just lie.' He continued in the same cheerful tone.

'You think I will lie for you?'

Loki leaned in closer. 'I can be very convincing.' He said in a low suggestive voice.

'No need.' She could feel her face treacherously heating up. 'Do you have any particular plan?' She changed the subject, backing slightly off.

'I have the biggest part of one.' He said excitedly. 'It involves that staff of yours, some sorcery, bees –optional-, rope, some shapeshifting, and-'

'Raven.' Sigyn interrupted his nonsensical rant.

'Um…I don't see how a raven would fit into the scheme, but I should probably explain it to-'

'No, that raven.' She pointed upwards.

Loki followed her gesture and all his childish excitement went out the moment he spotted the messenger bird. 'Oh, _that_ raven.' He sighed.

Sigyn almost felt bad for him, but she was relieved she wouldn't have to hear the rest of his idea.

The bird perched on a tree branch not too far from their heads. Sigyn expected it to speak, recognizing it as one of Odin's. Instead it held out its foot, where a rolled piece of paper had been attached with string. Loki reached for it gingerly, but the raven looked content to be rid of it.

'Thank you…' Loki paused for a moment, scrutinising the bird. 'Huginn.' He guessed.

The raven shook its head in what mimicked human disapproval.

'Alright, you two need something distinct so I can tell you apart, I just never get it right.'

It crowed in response, but made no move to take off.

'You can return to your master now.' Loki prompted, with a dismissive hand gesture. The raven continued staring at him.

Loki sighed. 'So much for revenge.' He unrolled the paper and read its contents with an impassive face. Sigyn wondered what it was about, and whether it would be invasive to ask.

'Information about Mjolnir's thief.' Loki answered her question for her, and handed her the paper.

'Is that all?' She said after reading the short message.

'Of course not, but it's all Odin is willing to share right now. It's enough to give me an idea though. My daughter describes as unnatural only beings that either belong to the world of the living and find themselves in the realm of the dead, or belong to the realm of the dead and cling to the world of the living.'

Sigyn wondered what would that make the goddess of death herself in her own eyes.

'Or, those who don't belong in either.' Loki added in a sadder tone that Sigyn thought she might had just imagined.

'So, we are looking for what? A ghost?' She asked incredulously.

'Possibly.'

'Do you even know where to start looking for one?' Sigyn was starting to wonder whether it was Odin playing a trick on them, but Loki looked serious about it.

'I know who to ask.' He replied.

* * *

The gatekeeper did not look happy to see them. Then again, he didn't look happy in general. 'Where to?' He asked gruffly. Even the simple question managed to sound like an accusation when directed to Loki.

'Midgard.' Loki replied.

'What's your business there?' Heimdall pressed on suspiciously.

'Our business is our own.' Loki said coldly. He drew Sigyn by the arm more jerkily than he had intended to and continued down the bridge.

'Don't think I'll take my eyes off you, Trickster.' Heimdall threatened.

'Oh my, you're making me blush.' Loki said with a coy smile. The watchman's serious expression fell to be replaced by open disgust. Loki laughed out loud.

'Come on' Sigyn tugged at him urgently. 'It will take us some time to cross on foot as it is.'

'Not as much as you think.' He replied.

'Wouldn't it make more sense to go to Vanaheim, if you want to talk to Rán?' Sigyn had wanted to ask that ever since he had announced whom they would be seeking.

'I'd rather not go through Aegir's hall.' Loki admitted 'He throws great parties, but he's not very good at business, and he's really testy about leaving me alone with his wife or daughters, so I'd never be rid of him to talk freely.'

'Does he have reason to be?'

'Does jealousy have any reason?' He avoided the question. 'The shore is much closer to the bridge in Midgard, and much more suitable for her. Lately she probably spends more of her time down there than in her own household.'

'Why is that?' Sigyn wondered.

'Midgardians have taken quite a lot to sea travel, and their seas are wild and treacherous, unlike Vanaheim's. That gives her plenty of chances to practice her favourite pastime.' He explained.

'Which is?'

'Drowning men and trapping their souls forever.' Loki said conversationally.

'That's…horrifying.' Sigyn decided she should probably stop getting surprised at horror and violence at this point, but she still felt a chill run through her body at his words.

'It's how she is.' Loki said 'But you see now why she might be helpful.'

She suddenly liked the idea of consulting Rán a lot less, especially in Midgard and away from Aegir's hall. She said as much.

'I've traded information with her before.' He reassured. 'And I had come alone. This time I am not.'

At this point, the bridge ended, and a rocky expanse of land opened up ahead. There was no vegetation but for the low grass, and indeed the sea was not far away. The skies were grey and overcast so it was hard to tell the time of day, but there was still enough light. The air was damp and salty and a thin mist was rolling around them that could be a result of the ocean or the Bifrost.

It was a thirty minute walk to the beach. Loki had picked a small sandy cove, surrounded at each side by vertical cliffs. The path to get down to it had been steep, and what took most of the time to get there. They had made the descent in silence, concentrating on the slippery stone beneath their feet.

Jagged pillars of rock rose ominously from the waves, making the little shore unreachable by sea. The smashed remains of one or many fishing boats littered the shore. Sigyn wrapped her hands around her torso and shuddered. Never before had the scent of the sea made her think of death rather than freedom. She felt reluctant to leave the rocky cliffside and approach the water even a single step.

'Loki… Maybe we should go back. I mean, what warranty do we have that she won't just drown us the moment we approach?'

'For you, as I mentioned it's men that are to her taste, and you won't be getting any closer to the water than you are now anyway.' Before she could protest he continued. 'As for me, I gave her a gift long ago for which she should be rather thankful. Also, there is this.' He pulled a coil of what looked like fishing line out of his pocket, and started unravelling it. He deftly fastened one end around his waist, and handed the other end to Sigyn. The moment she touched it she felt the power thrumming through it.

'What do I do with this?' She asked.

'Hold on to it tight, and pull it if anything strange happens.' He instructed.

'Anything strange, like?'

'If I get _too_ close to the water.'

Sigyn wrapped the coil a few times around her hand to secure it and nodded. Loki removed his coat and boots, and stepped off the stone path onto the cool sand. He walked towards the shoreline until he felt wet sand under his feet. He stopped where the waves barely reached him and dared not get any closer. He pulled a gold-hilted dagger from his belt, the treasure he had brought as offering. He ran the blade in a small line over his forearm, and let a few drops of blood land on the blade and the hilt, before throwing it in the water.

' _Nú skal ek Ránar'_ Loki sang a line of an old song, a seaman's lament when he realizes he's going to be taken by the sea.

' _raunbeð troða'_ A sudden strong wind picked up, attacking the protected cove. The surface of the water bubbled and frothed, not far from where the dagger had sank and a green light shone somewhere in the depths. A figure broke to the surface, sending large waves to crash on the rocks and the shore. Loki took a few steps back.

Her dark hair was tangled with seaweeds and it fell over her face and shoulders in wet strands. Her dress was fastened on her waist by a mouldy piece of rope, and it clung to her frame. She let the waves carry her to the shore, and after a moment of reluctance, she stepped out of the water and walked up to Loki. A long net dragged behind her, fastened onto her rope belt, and disappeared into the sea.

Rán smiled, her lips devoid of any colour. Her skin was pale and graying, but her eyes shone a deep vivid blue.

'Loki' Water trickled out of the corners of her mouth as she spoke 'It's been so long since you last visited me.'

She lifted her hand and ran her fingers over his chest. Where she touched him the cold and dampness seeped through his shirt onto his skin. 'Have you perhaps reconsidered my offer?' She leaned in closer and Loki resisted the urge to push her away.

'I am afraid I still have to refuse.' He replied blandly.

Rán let her palm rest against his heart, and it made his breath hitch. She grinned. 'Pity.'

Loki handed her Odin's message to him. It dissolved into wet sludge in her hands. 'I have questions that you may be able to answer.' He said.

'For what you gave me, you get only one answer, so pick your question carefully.'

Loki lowered his head in thought.

'Unless of course, you're willing to give something more. Then you could get all the answers you want.' She traced the side of his face with the back of her palm 'Or you could let go of your worries, and have no more questions that need answering.'

Before he could protest, she closed the distance between them and pressed her lips to his. They were cold and tasted of saltwater. Then the saltwater made its way to his lungs, filling them up and replacing all the oxygen. Loki panicked, and Rán deepened the kiss, holding the back of his head in place with unexpected strength. His thoughts dissolved as the lack of air went to his head, and an inviting promise of unconsciousness settled over him. The part of him that had been tempted was slowly taking over, overpowering his instincts of survival.

Sigyn had been observing the scene hidden among the rocks. She had resisted the urge to pull the line when Rán had first approached, but for some reason she could feel fear grip her the longer Loki did not pull away from the kiss. Eventually that fear overcame any others that might had frozen her in place. She secured the line in both hands and gave it a strong tug. The line shone a bright silver and warmed up against her skin.

Loki pushed Rán away, and oxygen flooded back in his lungs the moment their contact broke. He gasped for breath, taking greedy gulps of air that made his head spin. Rán seemed to only then notice the coil around Loki's waist. It had stopped glowing, but she eyed it curiously.

'So now you need someone to remind you not to drown yourself.' She observed with a smirk.

'You are the one trying to drown me.' He protested.

'Only if you let me.'

He backed away from her, still tasting saltwater on the back of his throat.

'You won't find any will to live at the bottom of the sea.' She said suddenly. 'And magic is a life energy. If you are seeking a sorcerer, I cannot help you.' She smiled a knowing smile. 'Until you change your mind...'

She stepped back and dissolved into foam the moment her feet found the shallows, leaving Loki to stand alone on the shore. For a moment he stared at the sea, as if mesmerized. The spell broke when he felt another tug at the coil fastened around his waist. He turned around and walked back to the path, without looking behind at the water again.

Sigyn was overcome with relief when Loki finally reached her. His clothes were damp and she instinctively reached for his palm.

'You're cold.' She observed.

Loki pulled his hand away and put on his coat. Then he sat down to fasten his boots.

'Did I do well, to pull at the line?' Sigyn asked.

'You did well.' Loki assured her.

'What would had happened if I hadn't?'

He shrugged. 'Probably nothing.' He lied.

'But she didn't help, did she?' Sigyn knew the answer even before asking.

Loki shook his head. 'Let's get out of here.' He urged.

Sigyn only breached the subject again when they had reached the top of the cliff.

'Why did she kiss you?'

'To make the offer of following her to the bottom of the ocean more inviting, I guess.'

'Did it work?' There was a strange undertone to her words. Loki couldn't understand why it mattered.

'I'd rather kiss someone who doesn't feel like a dead fish.' He said, and it was only half a lie.

'I think Aegir does not want to leave you alone with her for your safety, not hers.' She muttered half to herself, Loki actually smiled at that.

They walked briskly, both eager to get back to Asgard, warm and safe and far away from the sea goddess's reach. Just before stepping onto the bridge, Sigyn asked one final question, before leaving that encounter behind. 'You mentioned you gave her an important gift long ago. What was it?'

'The net that she uses to capture her victims.' He replied.

The Vanir decided that for once she didn't want to know more, as they started their ascent.

* * *

 **I just want to throw it out there that in mythology foreboding dreams and Balder are connected to one certain myth. Also Loki just gave Rán the net for catching fish...Or did he? Y'know, because no one has issues and there is nothing shady and dark going on.**


	9. The Challenge (The trials of Utgard p1)

**9\. The Challenge (The trials of Utgard part 1)**

Hel was surprisingly adept in dreamwalking for someone who hadn't had a dream for centuries. Dreams were much closer to death than people seemed to realize, crossing over from one to another easier than they feared. From there it was all talent and dedication. Hel had both the talent, and all the time in the world to get it right.

Her mother's dreams evaded her. It was not that Angrboda didn't dream, even though she didn't dream often. But when she finally did and the edges of her dreamscape tugged at Hel's awareness, the latter found herself unable to enter. She never hit a wall, but as soon as she stepped into what should be the dreamscape she found herself inexplicably back out into the vacant space between worlds and dreams. The dream rolled over her like mist, and it was gone before she could even realize it had been there. With every attempt her concentration grew, with every failure so did her frustration. Until it became apparent she was only wasting time. Not hers of course, that was infinite, but the living only had so much time to waste being ignorant of approaching danger.

Maybe all of that was a sign that Hel shouldn't get involved. The wisest thing to do would be to abstain. She knew this, and she knew that an affinity for chaos was bound to be in her blood even when it didn't flow the way it should. None of that knowledge was enough to prevent her from going through with the idea that had been slowly hatching in her brain with every failed attempt at her mother's dreamscape.

When she found herself unable to reach Angrboda, she had momentarily considered her father. But even in an emergency it was still not her move to make, and she wouldn't. Not if the worlds were to end tomorrow. It made her wonder if Loki had resolved to do the same, but that thought was redundant. So was he, at the end of the day, she tried to remind herself.

Hel let go of thoughts of her parents and turned her focus to a different person. She found nothing, but she knew she would, eventually. A dreamer was nothing here without a dream and dream the woman would. It didn't take long. Even though Hel could never be sure about time, especially not out there. Sigyn's dreamscape was familiar. Hel had visited it before, recently, and the feel of it still lingered in the back of her mind. She paused right at the edge of it. The dream did not look like a good one, there was turmoil and fear seeping out of it. Still Hel couldn't wait for a better one. She entered, a mere shadow too small to cause a stir. She was powerful enough to change someone's dreamscape, but she was also skilled enough to slip in without disturbing it. For a while at least she was only going to observe.

In the epicenter of the dream, instead of the woman she was looking for she found a child. The little girl –Sigyn, in a different time and place- was sitting on the floor of a carpeted room, little toys and wooden trinkets spread in front of her. Impossibly towering, vague figures walked around the room, murmuring to each other in an incomprehensible language. They ignored the girl, walking dangerously close to crushing her tiny hands, trampling her toys and mindlessly kicking them around the room. The girl opened her mouth to protest, but no voice came out of her. The murmurs grew louder, and the girl tried harder, desperate to make her voice heard. Eventually she gave up. She got up, tears welling up in her eyes, and the scene around her changed.

She was standing on a beach now, sand littered with black rock. She fell on her knees, searching frantically for something in the sand. Something that wasn't there. So entranced Hel had been with watching the girl, that she hadn't noticed the other person in the dream. Not until Sigyn lifted her eyes to him. Loki was standing in the shallows, his back turned to the little girl. He stared ahead to the water with a vacant look that made him almost unrecognizable.

'Please don't do this.' Sigyn called out. This time her voice echoed, childish and loud and pleading.

Loki didn't turn. His expression remained empty. As if the girl didn't even exist. He took a step towards the sea.

'No! Don't!' Sigyn cried. She took a reluctant step towards the shore, but it didn't make a difference. Loki still didn't hear her. He took another step and dissolved into mist and foam. The girl stared after him, mouth slightly parted in a warning that never got to take shape. She couldn't tear her eyes from the water.

Hel didn't wait for the nightmare to shift again, she pulled away from the shadows and let herself take form. The entirety of her left side was covered, including her face half hidden behind a dark shadowy veil. She didn't aim to scare, and Sigyn was already in a state of emotional distress. The girl regarded the newcomer, not with suspicion but with intelligent recognition. It made her look less like the child she had been and more like the woman she was. Her aspect flickered between the two.

'Did you show me this?' Sigyn asked. Her voice was coloured with a child's innocence and an adult's suspicion.

'No, that was your nightmare. I am not. I just want to talk, Sigyn.'

Finally Sigyn's form settled. She was grown up again, her gaze less wary, but for a moment just as lost. The last dregs of that illusion dissipated, leaving behind an image that mirrored reality. 'About what?' She asked.

Hel hesitated. She wasn't sure how much she was willing to give away. How much she had to give away. 'Can you keep a secret?'

'From who?' Sigyn asked.

'You are supposed to keep them from everyone.' Hel said with a hint of impatience.

'Not everyone will come after it though.' Sigyn replied calmly.

'Loki. Your father. Frigga.' Listing them off, Hel felt discouraged.

Sigyn pondered on it for a moment. 'I don't know.' She said truthfully. _I don't want to._ She thought. She had her own secrets, little things she'd rather not share. But never someone else's. Never something important.

Hel sighed. 'Not Loki.' She suggested.

Loki had never tried to get anything out of her before, but Sigyn felt it wouldn't be easy to keep something from him if he actually cared to know it.

'I don't think Odin would even suspect me of hiding something. But Frigga…I don't think I could.' The more she thought about it the less she wanted to know, and the more she needed to.

It struck Hel then, how Sigyn was nothing like Loki, or Angrboda, or even her own father. She was not a schemer. Not because she couldn't be, but because she didn't want to be. She was also her only hope of getting help right now.

'The less you know, the less you will have to hide. It's about my mother.' Hel paused. 'She-'

A strange sensation interrupted Hel as it washed over them. A pull towards an unknown direction, making everything about the dream and its visitor blurry and unstable.

'You're waking up.' Hel said urgently. 'Be wary about anything involving Angrboda, and if she comes to Asgard again, you need to tell me about it. Understood?'

Sigyn ended up having more questions and no answers. She wasn't ready to leave, but that wasn't something she could control. 'Wait, what exactly is going on? How do I contact you?' She demanded.

It was no use, Hel was already gone, and the rest of the dream was fading fast. Before the dreamscape collapsed to reveal whatever was lying beyond it, Sigyn awoke in her bed. The details of her nightmare were already starting to get muddled, soon to be forgotten, but the conversation with Hel was still clear in her mind. As Sigyn untangled herself from her sheets and got out of bed, she could no longer recall what her actual dreams had been about, even if the lingering sense that it had not been good persisted.

* * *

Thor would had never found the message on his own. He generally didn't except to find notes left on windowsills, but apparently Sif did. She handed it to him with a derisive huff. Thor examined the message thoughtfully. "Recent events makes one wonder how strong Asgard's strongest is." was the short message. On the bottom of the unnecessarily long page it was signed "Loki". Thor could make little sense of it, as it was often the case with Loki.

'Ignore it. He's just trying to rile you up for no reason.' Sif told him, before he even had the time to process it.

She was probably right, considering it had worked. The mocking tone was nothing new, but the fact that it was left in a note and not said to his face made an indignant sort of anger flare up in Thor's chest. He tried to follow his wife's advice and ignore it, busying himself with various chores. That if anything seemed to please the latter even more.

He spent the best part of his morning like this, trying to get the strange message out of his mind. 'I have to look into this.' He eventually said around midday, giving up on that effort.

'Do what you have to do.' Sif replied. She had been filling jars with freshly made jam, and didn't deem the declaration worthy of looking up from the task.

Thor walked up to her with feigned stealth. He put one arm around her waist and tried to sneak the other one towards an open jar. She grinned and slapped his hand away.

'It's not done.' She chided. 'Go do your investigating.' This time it sounded a lot more light-hearted.

'It won't take long, just enough to put my mind at ease,' He promised, planting a light kiss on her cheek before pulling away. Sif continued smiling even after he had gone, so easily swayed even after so many years together. If not anything else, she really trusted that he'd try.

Thor decided he'd search Valaskiaf first. Loki was hardly ever at his own house after all. It was on his way there that he met Sigyn. She was without her handmaiden, carrying an enormous basket of oranges all by herself. If she was having any trouble with it she didn't let it show. Thor approached and offered to help.

'No, I'm fine.' She said, slightly out of breath.

Thor wasn't convinced. She glared at him from behind the pile of fruit. He could sympathize with the sentiment, but confused as to how it could come from someone so small. And a woman at that. He wisely decided not to point it out, and fell in step beside her.

'Would you happen to know where I can find Loki?' He asked.

'No, why would I? _You're_ his friend.' She sounded almost accusatory.

'I…just thought if he was in father's hall you might have seen him or talked to him.'

She wouldn't had seen him even if he'd been there, as she had spent another morning secluded in her room. 'Why are you looking for him?'

'Oh, it's about this.' Thor held out the rolled up paper Sif had found.

Sigyn reluctantly relinquished the oranges and accepted the message. 'Loki?' She wondered aloud when she reached the signature.

'So it says. He'd better have an explanation for it.'

Sigyn read over the short message again. Aside from the content, there was something else that felt wrong.

'This is not his handwriting!' She exclaimed. The clear smooth writing looked nothing like the note she had received from Loki just a day ago.

When it was pointed out it seemed so obvious, Thor cursed himself for missing it. 'So, someone else sent this but signed it with Loki's name?' He suggested.

Sigyn considered it for a moment. 'Or…Couldn't "Loki" be a usual name in Jotunheim, even if we only know one Loki in Asgard?'

Thor had never thought about the possibility of another person named Loki. 'Taking Asgard's side in the war against Jotunheim was an act of treason. Even after so many years of peace since then, I wouldn't expect anyone to pick that name for their child.' He reasoned.

'What about before the war?' Sigyn suggested.

'There aren't that many Jotnar still alive from before the war.' Thor said dismissively.

'Why not? It's not like they die of old age.' She insisted.

'They die of killing each other.' He responded with a hint of disdain.

Sigyn was familiar with the Aesir's brand of condescension and superiority. It was one of the things she most hated about Asgard, and one of the reasons she found herself drawn to its Vanir and Jotun residents.

 _Or of being murdered by Aesir, in their own strongholds._ She barely managed to keep her bitter thought to herself.

'You should give me back my oranges. I don't want to hold you back from finding Loki and having him work all your answers out for you.' She suggested in a sickly sweet mocking voice.

Thor let the basket down and stared at her questioningly. 'What is this all of a sudden?' He demanded, the frustration that had been building up all morning seeping out.

Sigyn could feel her expression threatening to twist into a sneer. She lowered her head. 'Nothing, I must get going.' She picked up the basket again and started walking away.

'Sigyn wait.' Thor easily caught up with her in large strides. 'I am sorry if I somehow offended you.'

She sighed. It was painfully obvious there was no ill intent behind his words. Not consciously at least. 'It's not me you are offending.' She started patiently. Thor didn't seem to be following her thoughts, but he didn't interrupt. 'Sometimes, brother, you speak about Jotunheim as if you are not yourself half Jotun. As if your closest friend is not Jotun, unless that's not what Loki is.' She explained, voice calm.

Thor stayed quiet for a long moment. His expression, she noticed, was almost comically thoughtful.

'I am glad that I live here and not there, even as Jotunheim could as easily had been my home. And I am glad Loki lives here now.' He finally said.

It didn't feel quite like an apology, or even the right point to make. Yet Sigyn felt the flare of anger dissipate. 'Alright, then let's go find him. After you help me get those to Frigga.' She suggested.

* * *

Defying everyone's expectations, Loki actually was in his own house for once. Thor and Sigyn were surprised to find the front yard littered with things that weren't supposed to be outside. Chairs and pillows and cupboards and weapons and artifacts that shouldn't be in a house at all, everything haphazardly strewn about. Loki emerged from the house carrying a large box filled with what looked like silverware. He carelessly tossed it aside when he noticed the newcomers, and it landed with a loud clatter.

'Loki. Why the fuck are you emptying your house?' Thor said as way of greeting.

Sigyn opted for an awkward little wave.

'Spring cleaning.' Loki declared.

Sigyn and Thor exchanged a look. 'It's winter.' She pointed out.

'Hah. Winter. This is considered spring in Jotunheim.' Loki argued. Dressed as he was, thin shirt with rolled up sleeves and no coat, one could believe it was spring in Asgard as well.

'Can you take a minute off your _spring cleaning_?' Thor asked. He had started growing impatient three Halls ago, and he blamed Loki for _never being where he was supposed to be._

'Anything for my two favourite people.' Loki said, putting on a winning smile.

The expression made Sigyn feel like he'd either just done something underhanded, or he was about to. But after further consideration, that applied to the Trickster on any given time so it wasn't really useful insight.

Thor handed him the message. Sigyn observed Loki while he read it. For a moment there was a flash of something in his expression – _recognition?_ \- and then he resumed his airy façade.

'I didn't write this.' He told Thor, handing him the note back.

'I know that.' Thor replied.

'What are you sounding all smug about? She figured it out not you.' Loki made an educated guess, pointing a thumb at Sigyn.

'You don't have any idea who did?' Thor insisted, not rising to the taunt.

Loki shrugged. 'What does it matter?'

Thor's shoulders fell, he had expected an answer, some speculation, or at least some interest.

'It's alright. I'm sure someone else might have some ideas. Frigga for instance. Or maybe _Heimdall,_ he sees a lot of people.' Sigyn said brightly. She stared expectantly at Loki. He stared back, and for a drawn out moment they stayed like that, both silently expecting the other one to back out.

'I may have some idea.' Surprisingly it was Loki who eventually relented.

He led them inside. As expected, the interior was just as chaotic, but a lot more spacious than usual. Like so many times before Loki ushered his guests to the kitchen rather than the large dining hall. Along with the rest of the house it seemed bigger now, stripped of the accumulated clutter.

'Can I offer you anything?' Loki stalled. His cupboards were hanging open just behind him, mysteriously devoid of any food or drink whatsoever. 'Alright, I guess not.' He sat down on the small table, and leaned forward in a conspiratory way. 'The sender of the messages is Loki, the king of Utgard.'

'Utgard?'

'Messages, plural?'

Thor and Sigyn both asked their questions at the same time.

'I also received a similar message. Only, it was a challenge of speed rather than strength for me.' Loki did away with the easiest question first. He didn't actually produce the note he had received. 'Utgard,' He continued 'is an area on the southernmost of Jotunheim. The last stronghold before the southern wastelands, that lays beyond Ironwood. Loki has been king there ever since before the war between Jotunheim and Asgard.'

'How come we've never heard of him then?' Thor asked.

'Probably because he didn't take part in the war, or any of the wars of Jotunheim. He is a sorcerer, not a warrior.'

'Did you know each other?' Sigyn knew the chances weren't that high, but there was something about the way Loki spoke of him.

'Just because I am from Jotunheim doesn't mean I know everyone there.' Loki did his best to sound offended.

'You are also both named Loki.' Thor decided to point out the obvious.

'So what? People have the same name all the time. All nine of Aegir's daughters are literally named Wave, why don't you complain about that?'

'They do know each other. They are related.' Sigyn pointed out.

'Oh! Are you related?' Thor jumped in.

Loki was taken aback. He hesitated for a moment too long. It would had probably gone over Thor's head, but Thor was not alone. He made a split second decision. 'I don't know, it's possible. I was named after him.' He admitted.

Both Thor and Sigyn stared in shock, whether it was at the revelation or the honesty Loki couldn't tell. 'And I don't want to find out.' He continued. 'Looking into that would be walking into trouble. And so is responding to this challenge. I know him enough to tell you that.'

Thor seemed offended by that. 'You really have that little faith in me?'

Loki sighed. 'I'd trust you with my life in a fair fight. But this is no fight, and it will most definitely not be fair. There is only one reason why Loki would be challenging you, and that's because he knows he will win.'

'Or because he is the same sorcerer who aided Thrym with his theft, and believes we are weak enough to move against.' Thor insisted, getting angry at the mere memory.

There were many reasons why that hardly seemed plausible to Loki, but it all came down to one. 'He was powerful even before Asgard's wall, back when it was open and vulnerable. He had the perfect chance to cause a lot of harm, and yet he didn't, simply because he didn't want to. Why would he do so now that Asgard has both powerful sorcerers, and a strong army?'

Thor didn't respond. Truth was, if they were to discover he was at fault, he had already started planning repercussions, not caring whether Utgard could withstand them or not. And this Loki fellow seemed awfully invested in staying out of conflict.

'We don't know whoever aided Thrym is actually planning an attack. Couldn't someone had just done it to amuse themselves? Make a fool out of Thor.' Sigyn interjected. She said the last part apologetically.

'That does sound like something Loki would do.' Loki admitted. 'But there are ways to examine that without going. I refuse to accept this challenge, and it won't be valid if only one challenger shows.' He announced with finality in his voice.

Thor was beginning to fume with anger, when a sudden surge of inspiration hit him. 'Good thing you are not the only fast runner in Asgard.'

Loki seemed confused for a moment, then his face transformed into the very image of indignation. 'You are not taking the kid to Jotunheim!'

'He is not a kid anymore, which you would actually know if you ever came to see him.' Thor shouted back.

Sigyn sat in between them, absolutely confounded by the turn the conversation had taken. She had half a mind to ask when had they had a kid.

'The challenge is for the fastest runner in Asgard, not just a fast runner.' Loki pointed out. 'And that's me.'

'Thjalfi could be faster now that he's grown up.' Thor disagreed.

'Alright then. If he can outrun me you can take him to Jotunheim, if he cannot no one goes.'

Thor's response was interrupted by a loud sound, like things falling from a high place, from somewhere beyond the door. Thor craned his head towards the sound, but Loki ignored it completely. He looked expectantly at Thor for his answer.

'Done.' The Aesir agreed. 'But if you use magic or cheat, the bet is off.'

Loki nodded in agreement and they shook hands.

* * *

Roskva had been distressed to hear her brother's name and Jotunheim in the same sentence, to the point of collapsing a heap of Loki's possibly useless and possibly deadly junk back at the house. To the point of being unable to stand still, as they waited for the race to begin in an open field a little way out of the city. Sigyn couldn't think of anything comforting to say, at least not anything that didn't feel condescending and like belittling the Midgardian siblings. When Sigyn saw the young man in question, she felt inclined to agree with Loki, he looked more like a kid. Even younger than Roskva, and of a slight build even for a boy his age.

'I'm sure Loki agreed to that because he can win.' She tried.

Roskva shook her head. 'But what if he doesn't? It's exactly the kind of chance the little dunderhead has been looking for to get himself hurt.' She groaned in frustration.

Meanwhile, Thor and Loki had been agreeing on the details of the race. Thjalfi was just looking energetic, ready to go whenever he was told. He avoided glancing much to his sister's direction.

Thor called Sigyn over. 'Can you watch to make sure he doesn't use magic to cheat?' He cut right to the point.

'Cheat? With magic? As if I would need to do such a thing.' Loki seemed to take great offense at the mere suggestion.

'Yes, I think that is quite necessary.' She felt a surge of satisfaction at Loki's actually offended expression.

'Alright then, let's get it over with.' Thor decided, before Loki had had time to wax on about betrayal and non-existent hurt feelings.

Loki and Thjalfi took positions a few steps away from each other, on the edge of a straight line that had been carved in the dirt. Thor walked over to the finish line, and he asked Sigyn to stand in the middle of the distance to oversee the race. It wasn't an awfully long distance, meant to test purely speed and not endurance. Being closer to the starting line, she agreed to give the signal.

'Are you ready?' She asked.

They both naturally fell into the same kind of position, leaning forward, knees slightly bent. Springs ready to uncoil. She noticed that even though the boy was smaller, they both had similar physiques, lean and long limbed. When he stood next to Loki she realized Thjalfi had to be at around her height. He was intensely focused, and for the first time Sigyn started having doubts about the outcome. Loki didn't let any such doubts show if he had them, his expression set on easy confidence.

She felt like a countdown was appropriate. 'On one.'

They nodded.

'Three…two… _one!'_

They both shot forward, Loki with considerably more strength. He pulled ahead, and Sigyn kept her eyes trained on him, looking for any kind of misconduct. She had never seen him get very athletic before, but there was something captivating about it. He kept his gaze focused ahead, and his movements were sharp and precise. No energy wasted on unnecessary motions. He really was fast, and somehow gave the impression that his feet were hardly on the ground, just the minimum light contact needed to keep pushing forward.

She was getting distracted from her task. What brought her back was the boy cutting into her field of vision, catching up to Loki. The latter took his eyes from the finish line for the first time, to glance at Thjalfi. And as he did, Thjalfi actually managed to pull ahead. Despite his form looking more human, his speed was nearing inhuman, as he kept accelerating during the entire race. Loki accelerated too, now trying to close the distance. _Trying to catch up._

A few meters before the finish line it seemed like he would regain the lead. But he didn't. Loki crossed the line a step too late. A step later than Thjalfi, who had skittered quite a long way ahead in his effort to stop.

Now he looked back, a look of amazement in his face. Amazement and exhilaration. Loki was also amazed. No, shocked. Aside from Tjalfi himself and Thor, everyone else could not come to terms with the outcome. It was the worst possible one. Sigyn glanced back towards Roskva, who had been observing from a little further away. There was anger in her furrowed brow and in her clenched fists at her sides, and Sigyn wasn't sure who it was directed to. Roskva probably didn't know either. She didn't approach the scene any further, but turned to walk away.

Sigyn walked over to the end of the field where the others were standing. She noticed neither runner looked too winded, but Thjalfi was in a worse state. There probably was no point in saying there had not been any magic. If it had it would had turned out different.

'So that settles it, we're going.' Thor said in an uncharacteristically calm tone. Even he seemed to be surprised, which made Thjalfi beam up at him even more.

'I sure am looking forward to see you trying to explain how something brutally murdered him, to his sister.' Loki sneered.

'You think I cannot protect him?' Thor demanded in a booming voice.

'I can protect myself.' Thjalfi's cracking voice sounded like a squeak when he spoke after Thor.

Loki didn't even deign that with a reply, he just eyed the boy derisively. 'You don't understand, the rules in Utgard are different. Neither of you stand a chance alone out there.' He was starting to give up on trying to convince them.

'We're going anyway.' Thor stubbornly insisted.

Loki cursed, it was long and colourful and not all of it in the language of the Aesir and Vanir.

'If you really value your lives, and your stupid pride, you will do exactly as I say and try to speak as little as possible.' He said at long last.

Thor seemed extremely pleased to hear that, he grinned broadly, but Loki only returned a cold stare.

'I don't think it's very likely, but someone needs to investigate the possibility that Loki is the sorcerer that aided Thrym.' Loki gave the explanation no one had asked for.

'Have you felt that person's energy before, at Thrym's stronghold?' Sigyn had waited patiently on the side, but that was something she actually felt she had a say in.

'I haven't, but I can figure a way to find out.'

'I have. It would only take a moment, a small spell of his to see if they match.'

'No. Don't even think about it.' Loki snapped.

'You had no problem before, when we didn't even know exactly what we were walking into.' She protested.

'And now I know exactly what we're walking into. And more importantly, I know how much _you_ can actually handle.' He pointed at her in a dismissive way, like one might while chastising a child for its arrogance.

That, more than anything else initiated the stubborn kind of anger that made her push on. 'I don't answer to you _Laufeyson.'_ She spat the name like it was a swear. 'I am the only one who decides what I shall do. And I am coming along. You'd have to tie me up to stop me.'

Loki closed his eyes let out a long exasperated sigh. The kind that made him seem a century older. He looked back at her, and his response sounded surprisingly amiable.

'So be it.'


	10. Skrymir (The trials of Utgard part 2)

**10\. Skrymir (The trials of Utgard part 2)**

'You can't do this!'

'Is that so?' Loki pretended to furrow his brow in consideration. 'Only…Yes I can.' He let a smug grin replace his mock thoughtful expression.

Sigyn struggled with her restraints again. Just like the spell-rope they had used to escape Thrym's castle, they didn't cut into her skin, and they didn't budge no matter how hard she strained. The lack of physical discomfort somehow made her even angrier about the situation.

'Once I get myself free-' She began threatening.

'You will be somebody else's problem.' Loki cut her off.

He was standing a few steps away from the chair on which she'd been –what felt like permanently- strapped to. Sigyn wondered if there was a possible way to get Loki to step closer. Specifically, close enough to headbutt his stupid face really hard. She took a long calming breath.

'You really are a horrible person.' She managed not to yell.

'For preventing you from getting yourself killed?'

Maintaining a calm tone was proving harder by the second. 'If there's one thing I know how to deal with, it's sorcerers.' She reasoned.

'If only you weren't so prone to freezing to death long before we even reached Utgard.' Loki mocked.

At that Sigyn gave up on reasoning, and took up calling Loki things one would expect to hear from the likes of Thor instead. The kind of words she would later blush at having yelled.

'As amusing as that is,' Loki interrupted her avid name calling 'we must get going.' He started backing away towards the door. 'Please, no need to get up. Farewell.' He hurried out of the room before she could decide to replace swear words with words of power.

He expected to hear a hex or two crash against, and probably destroy the door, but in the end Sigyn proved to be a lot more sensible than he would had been in a similar situation. Namely, she refrained from releasing dangerous magic inside her own room. There was only silence coming from inside now.

'That went well.' Loki decided. Then he turned to address the servant girl who'd been lingering by the door. He schooled his expression into something serious. 'It will wear off in about an hour.' He explained. 'Just long enough to make sure she doesn't go and do anything reckless.'

While Erika did agree with halting Sigyn's recent wave of reckless endeavours, she still felt like a traitor. It was Loki's method that didn't sit very well with her, but she kept it to herself. She only nodded in understanding, or what she hoped looked like understanding. Loki, reassured enough, walked away.

Thor had been waiting for him on the edge of the Bifrost along with Thjalfi. His chariot was packed lightly enough to fit all three of them. Loki eyed the two burly animals strapped to it with apprehension. Thor's goats liked Loki, but Loki didn't really like the goats' way of showing affection. It mostly involved chewing on his clothes and tackling him with enough force to throw him off his feet.

'Finally. I was considering leaving without you.' Thor grumbled.

'Just keep your damn goats in check.' Loki replied from a safe distance.

Thor rolled his eyes but he did as he'd asked, allowing Loki to get into the back of the chariot. Thor and Thjalfi also climbed in. Admittedly it was a little bit crowded.

'So, you managed to piss off the only person in Asgard who didn't have a bone to pick with you yet.' Thor said.

'That's not a good move.' Thjalfi commented.

'Shut up kid.' Loki replied.

Thor cracked the reins and they set off, over the rainbow bridge, now the colour of dark stone and covered in snow.

Loki had said one hour. Erika waited a quarter of an hour before deciding to go in. It took her another ten minutes to gather the courage to open the door. Whatever she had expected to find, Sigyn in calm contemplation had not been it. Erika wasn't sure whether she should be relieved or alarmed. She pushed the door closed gently behind her, and she tentatively walked towards the goddess.

Sigyn's bag was laying open by her feet and a few of her warmer tunics were spread on the bed. Sigyn herself was sitting in a chair, her entire upper body wrapped in a shiny orange length of rope. It looked like it would burn to the touch, but there was no evidence of that on either Sigyn or the wooden chair. Erika picked up the bag and threw it on the bed along with the clothes.

'It should wear off in a few minutes,' she mumbled.

'Because Loki said so, and that's so reliable.' Sigyn guessed, sounding uncharacteristically bitter.

Erika turned away and busied herself with folding the shirts.

'Were you in on this?' Sigyn demanded.

'I had no say in it. I can't tell anyone what to do, especially him.' It wasn't a lie, but it still made her feel guilty.

'It's alright, it wasn't your fault.' Sigyn's voice softened. 'I should had expected to get played at some point.'

But…' Erika hesitated, unsure of how to word it 'maybe it will work out for the best. I mean, you really don't need to be out there. Norns know they shouldn't had gone either.'

'What does Loki care? He doesn't, this is just his twisted idea of a joke, to make me feel powerless.' Sigyn snapped.

'Then it's a very poor attempt, considering the power you can still wield, even like that.'

Sigyn sighed. 'It's still just an awful, sneaky way to get to do things his way.'

Erika was beginning to find, even when the other person was not inclined to physical violence in the first place, it was still easier to speak your mind to them with them tied on a chair. 'He really seems to believe that this way is the way that doesn't get you killed. It doesn't take much caring to want that. Would you want to see him killed?'

'It's debatable at the moment.'

Erika raised an eyebrow.

'No. But I want to see him genuinely sorry for this. Got plenty of time to arrange that before they get back.' She smiled, a sly little turn of the lips that looked both so alien and so natural on her.

'The restraints are starting to wear off.' Erika pointed out. The orange glow was becoming dimmer. It seemed after all they would go away as soon as promised.

 _Fucking bastard._ Sigyn thought, privately. She had sworn enough for one day.

* * *

She was really starting to hate it, skulking in the shadows like a thief. Oh how she missed it, the comfort, the splendour, the admiration. _Once she had been a goddess_.

'No time to waste thinking about those pointless things.' She said aloud. Her voice echoed through the cavern, rough like the sound of feet on gravel. _A_ voice. There was never just one any more.

' _They wouldn't had dared to turn me down like that before.'_ The smaller voice hissed. Lately it would sound a lot more poisonous than it used to.

She paced, close to the bright firelight in the middle of the cave. The shadows stretched menacingly towards her. She looked down at her hands, at how the firelight glinted off the golden bands around her wrists. She ran her fingers over the cold metal lovingly. Habits die hard. _Witches die harder._ She grinned.

' _So the She-wolf cares more about her cubs than her revenge…sooo beeee it.'_ She listened to the echo of her own singsong voice, coming back at her from all different directions. And then, for the first time since she had returned to the cavern she noticed the absolute silence. She circled the hearth and approached the stone altar on the other side. She observed the person chained on it, slightly cocking her head in puzzlement. It had been a while now that he had stopped screaming. He wasn't moving either, she saw after a closer inspection.

' _Is it dead? Weak, weak, WEAK little mortal.'_ She grumbled childishly. Her hand ghosted over the man's limp wrist long enough to confirm it. He was still warm, but there was no pulse.

'He lasted too long for a mortal.' She concluded.

That was the worst part. They would walk into the cave themselves, but she'd have to carry them out. Granted, she didn't have to take them far, not around these woods. Maybe she should keep a mortal slave around, to do this kind of work. _After all, what good is seidr if you don't use it to control a man or two?_

' _What good is it if it can't keep something alive for longer than a day?'_ She hissed. Revenge, she'd always thought, is best served over a long period of time, during which the subject begs for death. She had been in pain for weeks. She had been in suffering for months, maybe longer. Anything less than that wouldn't do.

'Then we have to work on something less weak than a human.' The rough voice said calmly. She started undoing the shackles on the corpse. He hardly needed them anymore. He had hardly needed them in the first place. On the outside, the body seemed intact. No marks or scars, no damage done to its frail skin but the little the restraints had cut. And yet he hadn't lasted the sheer pain. She dragged him off the altar, and slowly made her way to the mouth of the cave, body in tow. She just had to try again. _And again, and again, and again._ It wasn't an easy business, revenge.

* * *

'Why are you so sulky?' Thor finally asked, after an uncomfortably long stretch of silence.

'Oh, I don't know. Because you are a hot headed idiot who never listens to me and wants to get himself killed? Because your servant is also an idiot that wants to get killed? Because even your sister tries to get herself killed, I bet just because of her relation to you? It's truly a fucking mystery why I'm "sulky".'

'By Valhalla, you're nagging worse than Sif does during her… woman days.'

'Woman days? I can't believe you go around saying things like that and yet somehow everyone hates _me_.' Loki grumbled.

'What do you mean things like that?' Thor demanded loudly.

'Keep it down, will you? Unless you're forgetting whose woods we're crossing.' Loki chided.

'We already made this huge detour to avoid her. How much of a coward can you be, to be afraid of your ex-wife?' Thor said in exasperation.

'I am not afraid of her, I am simply revolted by her.' Loki argued indignantly.

'That isn't a nice way to talk about a lady who used to be your wife.' Thjalfi interjected.

Loki had almost blissfully forgotten about the boy, despite being pressed close to him for the entire trip.

'Make one more judging comment, and I will throw you off the chariot and leave you to the wolves.' Loki threatened.

'I was just speaking my mind.' Thjalfi protested.

'Never mind the wolves. I will eat you myself. Wouldn't even need to shapeshift, you're so tiny.'

'Loki, please stop threatening Thjalfi with cannibalism.' Thor said, with as much patience as he could muster.

'It's not cannibalism, he's Midgardian. But if it makes you feel any better I would shapeshift into a wolf or something if I wanted to eat a person.' Loki retorted. 'And you _did_ cut down on our food supplies to fit him aboard.'

'We have the goats.'

Loki made a disgusted face. 'Almost as bad as eating human.'

'Speaking of, are we going to stop for lunch soon?' Thjalfi asked.

'You are not very bright, are you kid?' Loki said venomously.

The boy chose to pretend he didn't catch that. 'I guess my sister is the smart one, she is a woman after all. I am-'

'Travel sized?' Loki suggested with a mean smile.

'I am fast.' Thjalfi replied, getting flustered.

'So are deer, but they still get eaten.'

Thor was tightening his grip on the reins dangerously much. 'Loki, stop antagonizing the kid or you will be the one thrown off the chariot.' He managed to keep his voice low.

Loki sat back and resumed his sulking, eyes passing over the thick veil of snow covered trees. He hated Ironwood. Or rather, he had loved Ironwood, until he didn't. And when you stop loving something, it often feels there is no other option than to hate it with the same passion you once loved it with. The passion that is so hard to wash away.

He found himself listening intently, expecting to hear the wolves. It was a comforting sound, better than the muted silence of snow and trees. There were no wolves, that part of the woods was safer. That part of the woods was dead. And it left space for many thoughts that Loki preferred to avoid.

'You know what, you can blab away.' Loki said to Thjalfi. Now the boy seemed to be sulking too. He wasn't like his sister, Loki realized. The younger one was a lot more sensitive, a lot more desperate to prove himself. It made him worry all over, about having brought him along. He had to hope it would not escalate badly, that Utgard's customs hadn't changed through the years, at least the ones concerning visitors.

They stopped when the sun had begun to fall. They still had hours of light to travel, but they were close to the edge of Ironwood, and it was better to set up camp in the forest than in the wastelands beyond. They opted for a thickly forested area, the canopy of the trees would offer protection from the snow. The ground was frozen and hard. Thjalfi started scouring for dry wood, while Thor looked expectantly at Loki.

'What?' Loki asked.

'Won't you do that magic circle thing that keeps the camp all warm?' Thor asked. 'The one Sigyn did last time.'

'I am not Sigyn, and I don't have a magic stick that does that on its own,' Loki snapped.

Thor threw him a disappointed glare. 'Maybe she should had come instead then.'

Loki said nothing, he stomped to the approximate edge of the camp, where he found a regular stick. He mumbled something in the local dialect Thor didn't quite catch, and tried to drive the stick into the hard soil.

'I should had also taken her damn runestick.' He groaned. He threw a ball of fire on the ground, and it thawed the slightest bit. He looked back at Thor who gave him a "that's better" gesture.

'Go kill your pet for diner.' Loki yelled over his shoulder and returned to work.

By the time Loki was done carving both the circle and all the needed runes by memory, Thor had already done that and put the unfortunate animal over a fire. Loki plopped down close to it, breathing hard from the physical labour.

'It should warm up soon.' He said. The wind had already been cut off, so the spell was working.

'Maybe you should get a magic stick of your own,' Thor commented.

'Maybe your sister can get me one.' Loki mused. 'You think she will be really mad at me? That she will still be angry by the time we return? I didn't mean to make her hate me.' His voice almost sounded small.

'She won't hate you. She might still be mad, I think. She might be like you with grudges. Well not _that_ bad, but…' Thor trailed off _. Was Loki actually worried?_

'It will be alright, she has already shown an amazing capacity for putting up with you.'

'So that means that I really fucked up bad… And she will just let it slide?'

Thor sighed. 'You didn't fuck up that bad.'

'Thanks. Wait…did you just imply that I'm spiteful?'

'I am really not willing to discuss this further.' Thor cut Loki off.

'But-'

'No.'

Loki rolled his eyes. He lazily flicked his hand towards the fire that flared up angrily.

'Oh look, your goat is burning.'

* * *

Plans of petty revenge were proving hard for Sigyn to focus on. Especially when she had other more urgent concerns occupying her mind. She had spent a good two hours before she could even find a book referencing dreamwalking. The secrecy of the task only making it even more difficult. As she pored over the book's limited content, it became apparent it had hardly been worth the effort. There were people who could answer her questions better, and of course they were the same people not supposed to know anything about it.

'Well damn.' she snapped the unhelpful tome shut. 'I'll just wait around until Hel contacts me again or something terrible but preventable happens first.'

She let her head fall in her palms in frustration. She was alone in her room, not wanting anyone to know what she was researching, and it was starting to become one of the times when loneliness felt suffocating.

'Sigyn?' Came a polite voice, that Sigyn half believed she had only imagined. The knock on the door that followed disproved that theory.

'No.' She groaned in response.

A creak, and then Sif's strikingly gold head peering into the room, only to find the young Vanir with her face literally planted in an open book. Her shoulders were slack and she was making no move to acknowledge Sif.

'Are you alright?' Sif asked stepping into the room. She gently pushed the door closed behind her.

Sigyn let out a long exasperated sigh, and otherwise remained as she was. Sif walked over to her, her hand hovering uncertainly over Sigyn's back.

'What happened?' Sif tried again patiently.

Sigyn lifted her head to meet Sif's eyes. She considered the question, assessing everything that had happened in the last few weeks.

'Loki.' She finally concluded.

At that Sif's mouth formed a thin smile, not unkind but humourless. 'Story of everyone's lives the past few centuries. Want to talk about it over a drink, or ten?'

Sigyn considered the offer. It wasn't often that she'd get invited to more than what social formalities her status had required. Not in a long time anyway. She made up her mind. 'That sounds good, thank you.'

There had been drinks as promised. There had been company, in the form of Aesir women, many of which seemed able to drink the men under the table with ease. There had been complaining about said men that quickly escalated to light hearted stories once the spite had subsided. Unsurprisingly, Loki had been in the middle of many of those narratives. As it was further confirmed, he truly had a penchant for mischief and meddling in the other gods' affairs.

In the end, the experience was not particularly informative, but it was very much needed. A few hours after she had been, for all intended purposes, dragged out of her room by Sif, Sigyn realised how tightly wound she had been. Her own head was pleasantly light. Gerd, the ever stoic giantess was loose enough to crack jokes and laugh playfully, and Sjöfn, ever the libertine of the Aesir seemed to be trying really hard to seduce Sif, "since her own husband ran off with Loki anyway". _Surely,_ Sigyn thought, _her seemingly unsolvable problems could wait until the morning._

That night, when she passed out in the guest room Sif had put her up in Sigyn had a dreamless sleep with no nightmares or visitors.

* * *

'We are not lost.' Loki insisted.

'Then which way is Utgard?' Thor crossed his arms over his chest. The gesture seemed vaguely threatening the way it made his bulging arm muscles stand out.

'Alright, you're right we're lost. Let's turn back.' Loki gave in easily. _Way too easily,_ a man a tad more observant than Thor might had noticed.

'Which way is even back?' Thor shouted in frustration.

'We…retrace our tracks?' Loki suggested meekly.

'The tracks have been covered by the snowstorm.' Thjialfi interjected from back in the chariot, where he was huddling for warmth. Loki had been entirely aware of that of course.

'Dammit Loki. This would never had happened if it wasn't for you and your witch wife.'

'Be quiet!' Loki said.

'How dare you?' Thor snapped.

'Can't you hear this?' Loki insisted.

Thor listened. A dull thudding was coming from deeper within the trees. Loki turned towards the direction of the sound and scanned the area for movement. Thor already had his weapon at hand.

'Put that away. You don't want to offend whatever is making that sound.' Loki instructed, creeping closer to the edge of the trees.

Thor reluctantly did so. Loki entered the thicket, footsteps making no sound in the snow. The thudding became louder as the pair of feet causing it drew closer to the clearing. The figure was making no effort to hide amongst the giant trees. Loki pressed his back against a tree trunk, hiding from view.  
The Jotnar were often called giants, a name with no literal meaning more often than not. As the man approached Loki could see how literally it applied to him. The opening of the giant's stride was as long as Loki's entire height. He strode forward with purpose, and passed Loki's hiding place without so much as a glance to him. Loki observed him approach their camp with awed fascination for a moment, then followed after him quietly. When the giant broke out of the trees he appeared even more towering than he had under the forest canopy. His eyes fell onto Thor, standing protectively in front of Thjalfi. He had followed Loki's instruction and kept Mjolnir hidden away.

'Hullo fellow travellers!' The giant boomed.

Thor stared at him for a moment, and then at the trees he had emerged from, brow furrowed. Loki stepped out on the clearing and Thor sighed in obvious relief.

'Hello!' Loki yelled up from behind the giant.

The giant turned slowly, as if he had all the time in the world to do so. His expression took on a curious sheen when he saw Loki. 'Where are you headed, and where do you hail from?'

'Who wants to know?' Loki demanded.

'I am Skrymir of Utgard's court, and this is where I am headed.' The giant replied.

Loki nodded, and walked around him to stand next to Thor. 'We travel from Asgard, and our destination is the same.' He finally said.

Skrymir seemed to consider this. 'Asgard huh? This is quite far away from home. Since our destination is the same we can share the road.' A row of unexpectedly white teeth appeared under his bushy black beard, a smile that could almost be called winning.

Thor and Loki looked at each other, the latter quickly weighing out their options.

'The more travellers the better.' Loki replied, returning the smile.

'And what are your names, Asgardians?'

'I am Thor, son of Odin.' Thor spoke up when he saw Loki hesitate.

'You are Thor? Strongest of the Aesir?' Skrymir exclaimed in awe.

Something about the giant's tone didn't sit well with Loki, but he made no comment.

'Aye.' Said Thor, trying to draw himself up as much as possible.

'I have heard so many things of your great strength, and of your mighty weapon.' Skrymir said. 'They tell me I am pretty strong myself. What do you say for a contest of strength, Ása-Thor?'

Thor rose to the challenge without giving it a second of thought.

Skrymir grinned. 'How about this; I lie down -so as you can reach- and you can hit me once with your hammer, as hard as you can, on the head.'

'Are you looking to get yourself killed?' Thor exclaimed.

'If you can really kill me, that is.' The giant replied.

Thor was starting to get really angry at his tone. 'Alright then.' He said, drawing Mjolnir.

Skrymir laid down, making a show of getting comfortable, and closed his eyes. 'Whenever you're ready.' He said.

Loki observed the exchange with growing interest. He knew there would be no point in interfering at this point. Thor stood over the giant's head and prepared to strike. Thjialfi looked on with morbid fascination, expecting to see the stranger's head split like an overripe gourd. Thor brought Mjolnir down hard, and nothing happened. He took a step back, a look of bewildered confusion on his face. After a second the giant cracked one eye open.

'You sure are taking your time, aren't you going to strike?' He said.

Thor was lost for words at this point, but his flustered look spoke for itself.

'It can't be, that the great hammer Mjolnir was what felt like a passing insect landing on my face.' Skrymir said.

Thor looked down in shame. He didn't reply, as words would surely fail him where even his strength did.

Skrymir shook his head. 'Let's get a move on then.'

Loki eyed the giant intently. A theory was starting to form in his mind, one that he would rather keep to himself for the time being. The very un-Thor-like look he saw on Thor's face almost made him change his mind on that, but in the end it was for Thor's good as well. Better have him a bit scared than even angrier.

Skrymir walked ahead, even though the chariot could easily catch up they gave him a wide berth. No one of the three talked for a long time, until darkness fell and they -or rather Skrymir- decided to stop for the night. Then Thor turned to Loki, for the first time after his embarrassing defeat. 'Can we trust him?' He asked.

'Of course not.' Loki replied.

That night Thor barely slept, even when Loki offered to keep watch for him Skrymir's loud snoring kept him on edge. They set out again early the next morning. They covered most of the distance in silence. Loki tried to ask Skrymir questions, but the giant's answers were always generic and cryptic. He never asked for Loki's name during that time.

Close to nightfall Thor, who'd been silently simmering, couldn't take it any longer.

'Let's have another contest.' He exclaimed. 'Give me another try.'

Skrymir seemed to consider that. Then he smiled again, in that same mocking way. 'Let's make it easier for you this time. Tonight when I lay down to sleep, you can come anytime and hit me once more. You win if the blow wakes me up.'

Thor was incensed at the suggestion, but he had already lost once so he begrudgingly agreed. If anything, if the giant was cheating, he couldn't cheat in his sleep.

That night Skrymir went to sleep before the fire was even out. He seemed completely unconcerned about the bet, and just like the night before he was soon snoring loudly.

'Alright this is it.' Thor said through gritted teeth. He got up and once again, stood over Skrymir's head, Mjolnir in hand. He swung, and just like before the hit didn't even disturb Skrymir. He didn't as much as bat an eyelash. Thor resisted the urge to yell. He threw Mjolnir to a nearby tree and it went clean through the trunk, and four more trees that were in its way. It returned to his hand, same as ever.

'Thor...' Loki started, unsure of how to continue. Thor stalked off angrily, and he let him go.

The next morning Skrymir was as cheerful as ever. He kept a slow pace to walk by the chariot, and he was loudly eating dried fruit out of a large satchel. 'So did you do it?' He asked Thor. 'I did feel something akin to leaves falling on my face as I slept.'

Thor didn't reply, at this point utterly defeated.

'Maybe you're not up to it because you're not sleeping and eating properly out here.' He suggested, with an uncharacteristic lack of mockery. 'Here, why don't you have some breakfast.' He threw Thor the satchel.

Thor tugged at the laces of the satchel, but they didn't loosen. He tried agan, this time with more strength, but nothing happened. He was starting to get really frustrated, and Loki who was making a point of staying out of this weird contest came up to Thor to help. Skrymir snatched the bag of food back before he'd had a chance. Loki glared up at him and went to dig through their own food supplies.

At late noon the keep became visible, no more than a dot in the horizon. Skrymir stopped in his tracks and turned back to the three Asgardians.

'This is Utgard.' He said pointing to the distant fort. 'It's no longer than this day's ride, you should arrive by nightfall. But a little advice, the lord of this keep is even stronger than me. Maybe you should consider turning back, since you couldn't even beat me.'

'We are not turning back.' Thor said.

'Best of luck then, Ása-Thor' He said, and he took off towards a different direction than that of Utgard.

They were so glad to be rid of him no one questioned his sudden departure. Thor still had that look on him, of uncertainty. It was not a usual sight.

'Do you think he's right?' He asked Loki.

'I think there is more to him than he lets show. And you are not weak. We should try and make it even before nightfall, I could do with a bed.' Loki replied.

Between him and days of evidence against him, Thor chose to trust Loki. He snapped the reins, urging the goats to go faster.


	11. Rewards (The trials of Utgard part 3)

**IMPORTANT A/N: So, it was never my plan to literally have a year+ hiatus, I just got things that absorbed all of my time and creative energy. 2k16 was simultaneously the happiest and less literary productive year of my life, in a way. The worst thing is, I was just happy to see people read this story and leave me reviews, and I pretty much let those few but lovely people down, and now the most likely is everyone has moved on. So I dug my own grave here. I can only hope _someone_ is gonna read my story, or the rest of it anyway. I am so sorry for leaving it like that for so long, to anyone that actually comes back. **

* * *

**11\. Rewards (the trials of Utgard part 3)**

This was probably the worst idea she'd ever had up to date. Sigyn didn't need anyone to tell her that, her own rational brain had reached the conclusion. But there was something almost addictive about the risk. Of course there was _risk_ , and then there was secretly going to Ironwood alone to seek out Angrboda, after being explicitly warned not to trust her.

She was properly prepared this time, dressed as warmly as she could manage, and armed with more than just her magic. A sword had felt a bit excessive, so she had settled for a much less conspicuous dagger, and her staff –which, aside from directing magic, could crack some bones if needed. Out in the streets no one would question seeing a Vanir a bit overdressed for the weather, or carrying around a magic staff. If anything, the average Aesir's tendency to question things was pretty low.

Heimdall would had been a pretty different story. She couldn't slip past him on the bridge, so it was a good thing she didn't have to. She entered the small, run down garden that she knew would lead her to the right part of the forest outside the walls. She waded through the tall grass that was still growing, totally unaffected by the approaching winter. In front of the low stone wall she stopped. _Last chance to turn back._ She thought to herself.

She clambered over the wall and entered the woods. She reached the place she remembered the portal was in faster than she'd expected.

'Now for the hard part.' She muttered.

She sat down on the forest floor, staff over her lap, and closed her eyes. She focused on all her other senses; the sounds of the forest, the smell of pine, the breeze she could barely feel under all her clothes. And then she let them go and focused on a different kind of sense, the one that went beyond the physical realm.

It turned out to be trickier than she had expected; Sigyn was a good learner, but what she had gotten from Angrboda was hardly a lesson. It took her a long couple of minutes to finally feel the familiar pull. It didn't seem as strong or clear as when Angrboda had found it for her, but it would have to do. She let her own magical energy extend to it, intertwine with the flowing energy of the bridge. She felt the pull become stronger and stronger, and eventually she let herself be drawn by the portal.

She opened her eyes sitting on the snow in Ironwood. A wave of nausea followed; this time her transportation had been a lot bumpier, but she had made it through in one piece. At dusk the forest looked every bit as terrifying as she'd remembered _and then some_. Shadows seemed to move between the trees, making the hairs at the back of her neck stand up. _Nothing but illusions._ Sigyn told herself. Illusions she couldn't bother with. She knew where the house was, and she knew how to see behind spells and wards. There was nothing but pressing forward.

* * *

True to Loki's suggestion, they reached the stronghold before nightfall. Travelling without the giant had considerably improved both the group's speed and mood. Utgard-Loki's fortress made Thrym's hold seem meager in comparison, and the numbers within it would only match its size. Fighting their way out of this one would truly be impossible.

No one met them at the massive gates, and there were no guard outposts visible, but nevertheless the gates swung open for them. Reluctantly Thor urged his chariot inside the courtyard. A few people were milling around in the yard, all spared the newcomers nothing more than a few curious glances _. All were secretly watching,_ Loki knew. Uncharacteristically quietly, he guided the other two inside the stronghold, through a threshold he'd last crossed so long ago it felt like a different lifetime. The familiarity of it all sent a wave of -dared he say- nostalgia through him that had started building up as soon as the structure had come into view.

Right inside the door was where their self-guided tour ended. A servant, who'd been waiting by the door intercepted them.

'Asgardians.' He said unenthusiastically by way of greeting. 'You are expected in the great feasting hall. Come with me.'

He turned and started walking without waiting for affirmation.

The corridor he led them through was plain stone and heavy, with a tall ceiling and rough walls just like the entrance hall. Torches lined the walls in double rows.

'What happens now?' Thor asked.

The servant took a long-suffering breath.

'Now, you two get your wish.' Loki said before he could reply. 'You participate in the stupid competition.'

At that statement the servant turned and gave them a curious glance, as if only then noticing Thjalfi, shuffling awkwardly next to Thor.

'We're here.' he droned.

The announcement was rather redundant, even behind the closed doors the sounds and smells that escaped the hall were unmistakable. The giant pushed the doors open and ushered them in the largest feasting hall the three had ever laid eyes on. Long rows of huge tables and giant hearths burning brightly, filling the space with warmth despite its impossible size extended on all sides around them. Each of the tables was occupied with people eating, drinking, and talking loudly in different tongues.

There was no throne, or even a table in the room elevated above the others where a king would sit at. Thor seemed at a loss with the scene, even as to Loki everything about the arrangement felt exactly right.

'What does Loki look like?' Thor startled him out of his musings. He was scanning the room intently.

'Right now, I have no idea.' Loki admitted. Even so, he too followed Thor's gaze, sweeping over all the tables.

It had been a consistent theme with the ruler of Utgard ever since Loki could remember; ever changing appearances with a fluidity that surpassed even Loki's own. But he had his ways of seeing beyond appearances, or so he thought. _Maybe it has been too many years…_

'Laufey's son. You haven't changed a bit since the last time I saw you.' a voice startled Loki out of his musings.

He turned calmly towards its source. A dark haired giantess was standing behind them, dressed in dark leather and furs. Her lips were curled in an amused smirk, and she stared each one of them down, her eyes flickering different shades of yellow and gold.

'It hasn't been that long.' Loki replied returning a smirk of his own.

She raised an eyebrow at Loki, and then turned her gaze to Thor.

'Welcome to Utgard, Thor Odinson. I'm glad you've accepted my little challenge.'

Thor's face went through a number of expressions in the next few seconds.

'You're...Loki of Utgard?' He stammered eventually.

Utgard-Loki's face split into a grin.

'Acute observation.' Her voice, even though polite, had something venomous about it.

Loki had to restrain himself from physically wincing, but thankfully it seemed to be going over Thor's head for the moment.

'Now, you didn't come all the way here to exchange pleasantries!' she announced.

Loki realised the Hall had gone silent, everyone's attention was on them, and specifically the speaking queen.

'Of course it seems one of you forfeited their challenge.' she continued, the same thinly veiled sardonic tone. 'What do we do with you now, Asa-Loki?'

 _Loki of the Aesir._ In Asgard, that name would had been intended as an honour. But here, Loki knew, it was a statement. _You don't belong here anymore._

'You let me rest, eat, and drink?' Loki suggested, not breaking character. _What was there to belong to anyway?_

'Now that gives me an idea!' She exclaimed, with more glee than it made Loki comfortable.

Utgard-Loki didn't so much do contests, as demonstrations of superiority. Loki could list off a few ways she would be able to pull that off against Thor or even him in challenges of strength and speed. He couldn't quite see the same happening in an _eating contest_. But there he was _._ Thor and Thjalfi had been seated among the gathered giants, and sure enough offered food and drink. Loki, on the other hand " _should at least attempt to out-eat and drink someone of Utgard's court, if he could not outrun them."_ An idea that had gained surprising traction among the gathered giants. It gave Loki a sense of dread as he sat in the middle of the room, the seat across him on the table still empty. Surely, Utgard-Loki wouldn't be interested in affirming her giants could eat more than him, some of them were large enough to eat _him._

'The rules are pretty simple for this one.' Utgard-Loki addressed Loki but kept her eyes on the crowd. 'You have to consume all the food brought out for you before your co-competitor.'

'And who would be my co-competitor?' Loki asked, eyeing some of the more hefty men and women among the crowd, although the chair across of him appeared small.

'That would be Logi.'

A young man slipped through the crowd at the mention of the name. He was scrawny, even compared to Loki. Wild red hair framed a twitchy shallow face, and his eyes darted around the room excitedly. He sat himself down on the table across from Loki.

Loki knew things were often not as they seemed in Utgard. Everyone did, so what his opponent looked like hardly mattered. But something in the way he moved felt off to the Trickster. The boy almost seemed to flicker from stance to stance.

As the two got seated across each other, a literal cartload of food was brought to them. Loki was half of a mind to throw the contest entirely, but he knew this might come down on Thor and Thjalfi along the way. And more importantly, whatever the point of this was, the _actual_ point, he would never get to see it if he never tried.

'So there are really no rules.' Loki muttered to himself, a grin spreading across his face.

'What-?' A glimmer of uncertainty crossed Utgard-Loki's face for the first time, as she turned towards the contestants.

Just in time to see Loki shift, a huge grey wolf looming in his place.

* * *

Sigyn hadn't walked long enough to confirm what her instincts were screaming at her; _she was lost. She should turn back now that she could still find the portal._ But the thought that the cottage could be at the next turn of the twisting forest path kept her from giving up. _Not yet._ She couldn't rely on fear, even as her current fears were far from irrational. She'd heard the wolves, somewhere far in the distance. As the light faded everything seemed to creep closer. _Even the howls,_ or so she'd thought.

And yet that hadn't sent her running back. Maybe she was actually seeking the danger as much as the answers she told herself she was after. She wondered whether at some point down the road it had become a competition of sorts. _Against Loki, maybe against her brother too…_

Sigyn didn't sense the beast approach until it stepped fully into her path. Even if she hadn't let her mind wander, for all its size the wolf was silent and quick; it had moved among the trees like a shadow. It lowered its head and stared at Sigyn through slanted eyes. Whatever pale light found its way among the trees shimmered against its white fur as it took a tentative step, the hackles on its neck rising.

Sigyn gripped her staff harder, she made to raise it in front of her but her arms faltered. A cold, numbing fear spread through her body like ice as she faced down the giant wolf. She couldn't will her legs to move, not that it would be to any avail. _How could she possibly outrun a wolf larger than a stallion?_

The wolf took another step and sniffed the air. In an instant its body seemed to relax. It kept staring at Sigyn, despite the hostility leaving its stance. She could swear its eyes were inquisitive, _intelligent._ They were a bright green that almost didn't look lupine. She stayed still for a while, afraid any movement would prompt an attack. _Afraid one was coming anyway._

'You're not attacking me.' She said eventually, a slight tremor to her voice.

The wolf cocked its head.

Sigyn thought of shapeshifters. This was Jotunheim after all. She considered for the first time the wolf might very well be a person. That would not necessarily stop it from eating her, of course.

'So, I am going to assume you _won't_ attack me…?' She stammered. 'Assuming you are actually a person and not just a really big wolf- not that there is anything wrong with that! Wolves are great!'

The wolf stared at her impassively, ears flattened and mouth slightly ajar.

'Right, why don't I go back now, leave you alone...'

Sigyn wasn't sure if her panic was due to the possibility that she was talking to a wild beast, or the possibility that she _wasn't_. She was leaning towards the second.

If giant wolves could sigh, that was what this one did. It reached Sigyn in one long stride, and lowered its head against her side. Sigyn was overwhelmed with relief when it placed its forehead against her and gave her a push, as opposed to biting her arm off. Not wanting to see what would happen if she refused, she let herself be led by it, not towards the portal but deeper into the treacherous forest path.

The direction the wolf guided her towards was not exactly the one she had been following. _But it wasn't too off either._ She wasn't surprised when it was Angrboda's clearing she emerged in, giant wolf dutifully behind her. She could say she'd gotten used to it during their short trek among the trees. She'd be lying. In fact it was welcome to turn into a person any time.

Sigyn didn't think it _looked_ like Angrboda, in whatever capacity a wolf could look like a person. She was about to ask anyway, when the door to the cottage opened and Angrboda stepped out.

She noticed the wolf first, and was ready to call out to him when her eyes fell on Sigyn. She stared in open confusion for a few seconds. Then she seemed to settle for forced nonchalance.

'Sigyn, I see you've met my son.'

* * *

For all that it granted him, shapeshifting cost Loki presence of mind and observation skills. The wolf side of him had been decidedly more interested in the food than observing his competition, and more in tandem with his competitive side. After shifting back, Loki wasn't sure what he'd seen. A pile of gnawed shattered bones were strewn on his side of the table. Logi's side had been completely cleared, not even a splinter of bone remaining. Nevertheless, they had finished at the same time.

'I believe this is a draw.' Loki managed, fighting waves of nausea. Shapeshifting back after eating all that food in wolf form was doing him no favours.

' _I_ believe you lost, Asa-Loki.' Utgard-Loki said.

She pointed to the scattered bones on his side and smirked. 'The challenge was to _consume all_ the food brought to you, and you haven't done that.'

Loki stifled his response. He didn't care for the eating contest, but he could feel he was losing the _actual_ contest that was going on there. Reacting in anger would only be making a bigger fool of himself.

'It would seem I have.' he said amiably.

He got out of his seat and tried to make it to where Thor and Thjalfi sat without giving away how horrible he felt. At Loki's departure the rest of the giants in the Hall cheered- for their champion or their queen, Loki didn't know or much care. He took the time to lean in and whisper to Thor and Thjalfi.

'Listen, there's something wrong-'

'Yes, you're starting to look really sick.' Thor interrupted, giving him a concerned view-over.

'I _may_ have just eaten a few stuff that are poisonous to wolves, and I will _definitely_ get horrible heartburn... But that's beyond the point! Nothing we've seen since we- since _before_ wearrived, is something giants can do. It's magic or illusions or-'

'Would our guests be ready for the _actual_ challenges to begin, after this _fun little display_?' Utgard-Loki's sharp voice cut him off.

This time even Thor bristled at the mockery in her tone. But it was Loki the Queen seemed keener on observing.

'I challenge anyone in here-' Thor started hotly.

'It is not _your_ turn yet.' Utgard-Loki cut him off.

Loki instinctively grabbed Thor's arm, willing it to not reach for Mjolnir.

'It is only fit for you to be the main event, Thunderer.' Utgard-Loki added.

Thor let his shoulders fall. Both he and Loki turned to look at Thjalfi. He hadn't touched most of his food, but he tried to appear calm nevertheless.

'I'm ready.' He said, voice mostly steady.

'We are going to need to make some room for this one.' Utgard-Loki announced to the crowd.

The feasting Hall was actually large enough to hold a race, but they could had simply moved the race to the courtyard. The cold would had acted against the human competitor. Instead they rearranged huge tables and benches, until a big enough area was cleared. It was a longer distance than the one Loki and Thjalfi had raced earlier that day.

Thjalfi was standing near the starting line, with Thor giving him some sort of encouraging speech. Loki had taken a seat towards the front of the -mostly larger than him- crowd. This time he was intent to observe. He waited anxiously to see who Thjalfi would have to face off against.

'Alright boy, you beat Loki, now let's see how you do against one of my own.'

Once more a man stepped forward. Loki could not place his age, but he looked frail and sickly. The more Loki tried to observe him, the less he seemed to be able to gauge about him. At moments it felt like his gaze went right through him. He let his head fall in his hands in frustration.

'Hugi will be your opponent.' Utgard-Loki announced.

Loki jerked up at the sound of the name. _Hugi...Logi._ Sometimes names were just names, they meant nothing. _Often they meant everything._ A theory started forming in Loki's brain, one that made little sense.

Unsurprisingly, Thjalfi lost the race. This time it wasn't a close call; by the time he reached the middle of the track Hugi had crossed the finish line. Thjalfi was the only one anyone could clearly picture running once it was over. The boy looked despondent, frozen in the middle of the track. Thor approached him. Loki stayed fixed. He was more eager to see Thor's opponent. See them, and hear what they'd be called.

* * *

Angrboda had quickly ushered Sigyn inside, possibly considering her intolerance for the cold. She'd said something to Fenrir in a local language Sigyn didn't understand. Her tone had sounded apologetic.

She already had a fire going, and Sigyn found herself instantly drawn to it. Gradually she started feeling parts of her face and arms she hadn't realised she had lost feeling in.

'What do I owe this visit to, then?' Angrboda broke the silence.

Sigyn, didn't know what to say. Admittedly, she hadn't gotten _that_ far in her plan.

'I wanted to ask,' she stalled for a moment 'what can you tell me about dreamwalking?'

Angrboda gave her an incredulous look. 'You came all the way here… for a _magic lecture_?'

Sigyn nodded, not trusting herself with actual words.

'You could had gotten lost or…' Angrboda sighed. 'If I offer you wine do I run the risk of poisoning you again?' she asked drily.

Sigyn felt a surge of embarrassment. She lowered her eyes and took a deep breath.

'That doesn't normally happen.' She managed.

'Excellent.'

It turned out, much like Loki, Angrboda didn't get very theoretical with her magic. Unlike Loki, she hadn't been brief with her explanation, or attempt at one thereof. Sigyn was used to following instructions, precise steps and patterns that led to the desired outcomes. The magic of the Jotnar, chaotic and unpredictable, was a different story altogether. And she had picked a rather obscure subject.

'So once you consciously enter the dream realm-'

'The hardest part really.' Angrboda interrupted.

'-how do you navigate it?' Sigyn finished her question.

'You just...do. You get used to the dream realm, and you can move in it, manipulate it even. It's...hard to explain in words.' there was a frustration in Angrboda's tone. 'Listen, these things aren't taught with books and tutors.'

'So are they inherited like shapeshifting?' _Because your daughter visited me in a dream and warned me not to trust you._

Sigyn hated circling around the subject, but she couldn't quite come out with the truth at this point.

'It is. And if they ability doesn't emerge on its own, we can always teach it in a more practical way.' Angrboda replied. Then she noticed Sigyn's furrowed expression. 'Were you, uh, hoping to learn how to do it? It is not _entirely_ impossible that a Vanir could have the ability.' Angrboda did her best impression of reassuring.

It was a bit disquieting. Sigyn threw back the remainder of her wine.

'Alright, take it easy with-'

'Why did you come to Asgard?' Sigyn demanded.

The sudden change of tone threw Angrboda off.

'For you. I already told you this.' She replied.

'To what end? How did you even know about me?' Sigyn pressed on.

'Are you accusing me of something?' Angrboda shot back.

'No, I just need to know. Please.' _Please prove Hel wrong._

'Travellers pass by, and news travel with them. I don't _care_ about Loki, but it's within my interests to know what he's up to.' Angrboda said, a bit defensively.

'Who told you of this?' Sigyn persisted.

Angrboda opened her mouth to protest again, and then her expression turned thoughtful. She froze, an unsettling feeling seeping in her chest.

'i don't remember.' She said, an edge to her voice. 'It has only been two days, why don't I remember?'

Sigyn didn't want to worsen the panic that was obviously starting to grip the Jotun. But it was starting to spread to her, so before she could help herself she blurted:

'Angrboda, it has been a week.'

* * *

His companions' failures had only worked to further rile Thor up. Even if a part of him had observed the abnormality of the situation, it was overshadowed by the part that was rearing to prove himself. A drinking challenge had felt like an insult, and yet he was running out of breath with every gulp he forced down. He couldn't understand it, the drinking horn in his hands refused to get lighter.

" _Everyone here can empty it in one drink, two at the most."_ Utgard-Loki had said. _She must be lying._

Eventually Thor couldn't keep drinking. He stopped and gasped for air. The horn remained full in his hands.

'It seems you weren't really up for this, Thor of the Aesir. Truly it seems my expectations have been misplaced.' Utgard-Loki said.

Some of the giants in the audience laughed in outright mockery. Thor looked on the verge of assaulting Loki herself.

'How about this: you try to lift my-'

'Let me fight!' Thor roared, cutting her off. 'Anyone here, one on one, no tricks and illusions.'

Utgard-Loki lifted up her hands in a pacifying gesture.

'Sure.' She replied. 'I have _just_ the opponent for you.'

Loki hadn't doubted for a second it would come to this. Evidently Utgard-Loki hadn't either. But at least the nature of Thor's opponent could clear things up for him.

'Since no one in this Hall is likely to want to bother, go get Elli.' she ordered the giant court. 'She may welcome the practice.'

Loki didn't like the sound of this. He approached Thor, afraid of what the Asgardian might do.

'Thor, remember it's all a trick-'

'Why, I don't see you figuring it out, _Trickster.'_ Thor forced through grinding teeth.

'If you attack Loki none of us will leave here alive.' Loki insisted, in an urgent tone.

'I will attack whoever they bring out to fight me with all I've got.' Thor said, as much of a promise as he could make.

'I'll figure it out.' Loki promised back.

Then the doors of the hall swung open, and two large men entered, escorting the oldest woman either of them had ever seen. Neither the Aesir of the Jotnar ever reached that stage of aging. She seemed frail, leaning on the two giants escorting her, and deep creases covered her face and arms. Her hair was thin and wispy, and her skin sagged to a disturbing degree. Her sight caused Loki a deep sense of unease he couldn't pinpoint. She smiled a toothless but amiable smile. It sent a shiver down Loki's spine, but he tried to stay collected. Thor seemed shocked, but still resolute.

'You're going to...attack the old lady?' Loki asked.

'I am going to _wreck_ the old lady.' Thor replied, anger still blazing in his eyes.

Loki chose not to look too closely at the moral ramifications of the statement.

'Good luck.' He patted Thor on the arm, and took his seat among the spectators.

True to his word, and very likely thinking what he was looking at was but a product of shapeshifting -a fact Loki could had esily disproved- Thor charged the old woman ferociously. Elli made no move to evade. One could argue that her attempt to make any sort of move would end up with her bones scattered across the floor. It still beat taking the furious attack of the Thunderer. Slowly, painstakingly, she raised a bony arm.

Her outstretched palm found Thor upon impact, and he crumpled to the ground. It seemed as if all life was drained from his body. He cursed and tried to pick himself up. Elli placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. 'Sssh dear, easy now. Don't you want to rest?'

Thor fell back down, breath slowing. He could not will his muscles to support him. He repeated the motion. Every time Elli gently laid him down again, whispering calm assurances. Every time it took him a little longer to try to stand up again.

Loki felt a growing sense of dread watching the fight. A thought had lodged itself in his brain that echoed louder every time the Aesir went down. _One of these times he's not going to get up._ And it scared him more than whatever threat Utgard-Loki could pose to him.

'That's enough, he lost!' Loki shot up from his seat, startling the spectators.

Thor was sprawled on the ground, he wasn't making an effort to get up yet. It had been almost a minute.

'So, you admit that you Asgardians are too weak?' Utgard-Loki asked.

Thor stirred at the suggestion, he tried to push himself up again.

'No.' Loki said.

A murmur of disapproval went around the room, but Utgard-Loki gave him an intrigued look.

'Then why have you lost time and again, Asa-Loki?' she stared him down as she asked.

On cue the room laughed once more.

Loki had already taken the gamble, he might as well run with it.

'If I tell you, will you tell me _how_ you did it?' he asked.

She seemed to consider it for a moment. The room was dead silent.

'If you are right, I will. If you are wrong, you all die.' She said the whole thing with a carefree smile.

Loki took a shaky breath. He couldn't back down. Thor would definitely do something stupid the moment he picked himself up from the floor. Loki could only hope his idea would be _less_ stupid than that.

'The things you asked of us weren't challenges, they were impossible. It wasn't your giants we competed against.'

The sound of blades being drawn spread through the feasting hall. Utgard-Loki's smile only widened.

'Do elaborate.'

'Logi is…wildfire, so of course he consumed everything in his path. Hugi is thought, no one could outrun him. And Elli, that was the scariest one of them all. The first I thought of when I saw her was death, but _I_ know death, and she was something even scarier. She is old age itself, isn't she?' By the time he finished talking, Loki was more certain about his theory than when he'd started.

Utgard-Loki's expression turned impassive.

'What about the cup?' She asked.

'The cup… It wasn't a cup at all, just like all the others. And when you challenged Thor on the way here, that wasn't you he was hitting, if it had been you we wouldn't be talking right now.' The last part Loki threw in mostly to show off. And because it was the only thing he'd been certain of from the beginning.

Everyone in the hall froze. Just as it felt like the axe –both proverbial and literal- was about to drop, Utgard-Loki started laughing. Not the cold, condescending laugh Loki had expected, it sounded genuinely delighted.

'Is she that excited about killing us ooor…' Thor whispered.

Loki made a noncommittal gesture in response.

'Oh kid, for a moment I thought you'd fail this and I'd _actually_ have to execute you. But you really _are_ your mother's child, even if you've been living with…uh, anyhow. You three are safe, protected by the law of hospitality, _and the fact that not all three of you are witless and ridiculously easy to fool.'_ The last part she spoke in a local Fire Jotun dialect only Loki understood.

'What was that?' Thor asked.

'You're welcome to as much food and drink as you like…?' Loki tried.

'Yes, yes. We may talk in private Laufeyson.' Utgard-Loki said.

'Of course.' Loki smiled.

Utgard-Loki started walking ahead.

'If I am not back in one piece in an hour take Thjalfi and run.' Loki whispered to Thor, and took off after her.

They walked through wide hallways towards a more private part of the castle.

'So, you promised to tell me-'

'It's been a while hasn't it?' Utgard-Loki interrupted. 'Last time you were here you were just a kid, you'd seen no war yet, maybe that's why One-Eye won you over.' She grinned, as if thinking of a private joke. 'Have you figured it out yet? What is the downfall of people like him?'

 _People like me._ Loki thought glumly, or at least many people had claimed so. _Entire prophecies_ seemed to claim so. He didn't reply.

'They always think they'll survive because they can tell which way the wind blows. They forget the most important thing; that the wind changes all the time, sometimes at the last moment and when you're already on the edge of a cliff it doesn't matter if you _know_ what way the wind will blow next, it will knock you over anyway. If you play their game you are bound to lose sooner or later.'

'So, what, you don't play at all? That sounds…boring.' Loki said.

'You play, just not _their_ game. You set up your own rules, try to gain as much as you can, and refrain from risking everything for petty pissing contests.' Utgard-Loki replied.

'You seem fond of petty pissing contests.' Loki commented.

She laughed. 'Only ones I risk _nothing_ in.'

'Then, how was it all done? What is the trick?' He prompted.

'This was not just a cheap trick. In fact I invited you and young Odinson because I wanted to test this magic against someone formidable, both in strength and in illusions.'

'But it wasn't an illusion.' Loki said. He wasn't even sure _what_ it was.

'Exactly. How did you realise who they were?' She prompted.

'Their names literally meant the things they turned out to be. And their actions matched. I guess it was mostly Elli, she made me feel a certain horror very few things could.' Loki admitted.

'Ah, and who taught you about the importance of names?' Utgard-Loki pressed on.

'Odin. While teaching me the rune-magic of the Aesir. But he's never used it to…alter the nature of things.'

'Yes, the Aesir are very much stuck to the idea that each thing can only be _one_ thing, and that would reflect in their magic. But the different kinds of magic aren't really separate entities. They are all part of what waves this universe together, the seams that connect it all. It would only be natural they connect to each other.' She was talking fast now, excitedly.

'But you don't…have that sort of magic.' Loki said.

'As far as you know. People grow, of course.' Utgard-Loki said, voice lowered. She seemed to be examining each word before she let it out.

'So you are talking about a _hybrid_ sort of magic that can…make the concept of thought also be a person, or a cup be a…whatever that cup was.'

'An ocean actually.' She interjected. 'And much more than that. _In theory_ once you start working with the dual nature of things, as opposed to what the Aesir believe, you could even make the force from a hammer blow directed to your head be taken from a mountain range miles and miles away.' She said with a grin.

Loki was astounded, both from the complexity of this and from the seemingly endless pool of dangerous possibilities.

'How did you do it? You somehow got rune magic…and then what?' He asked.

'I cannot talk about this, I am sorry. Just remember, everything comes at a price, even magic.'

'But-'

'Also, it's in everyone's best interest that you don't drag me in Odin's little game. He doesn't really need to know about what I'm doing here. It will be good for neither side if he forces my hand, and he will.' She added, a tired expression crossing her features.

In a way, Loki agreed. Maybe she thought it was confidence that was the downfall of people _like_ Odin, but he suspected it would be his greed for knowledge and power that would be the downfall of Odin himself. He nodded.

'Thank you.' He said, even though he was not sure what for.

Despite the outcome of the conversation, Loki didn't want to stay there a second longer than needed. Thor and Thjalfi seconded the sentiment. They unanimously agreed to leave on the same night. Only, it all felt too easy. _What was to say they were the first people that Utgard-Loki had tested this magic against? What was to say it couldn't also make a magic weapon not feel like a magic weapon, or an Ice Jotun also be a guest in an Asgardian feast? And hadn't Sigyn talked about energies concealed as something else at Thrym's wedding?_ When the last thought hit him he felt foolish. Sigyn could had simply sensed Utgard-Loki's magic, she'd know what to look for, what to compare it to. He felt powerless in comparison. And then it struck him she still could, and then they could be certain. _Really certain._ Maybe the downfall of people like Loki Laufeyson, was that they couldn't let sleeping dogs lie.

He told Thor and Thjalfi to wait outside and prepare the chariot, and he snuck back inside. It didn't need to be something big or fancy. The smallest enchantment would do. All he had to do was what he'd done the first time he'd left Utgard; he hadn't been caught then. As luck would have it, he found just the thing, discarded in an empty parlour close to the castle entrance. Among a scatter of other giant sized items he found the satchel of food Utgard-Loki had used to taunt Thor as Skrymir. The one he had suspected to be enchanted. A quick scan of his magic proved him to be right, there was definitely magic there- and there would only be so many people that would enchant a bag of dried fruit. Of course, compared to Loki's size, it was more of a huge sack of dried fruit. Still, _no one would really miss this_ , he reasoned with himself as thieves are wont to do. He hoisted it over his shoulder and made for the exit.

The corridor outside the room was one of the darker ones, not really used by visitors. He could be out before anyone knew any better, after all as far as most were concerned he'd already left.

'Visitors are only welcome, up to the point they become thieves.' A gleeful voice startled Loki and made him freeze in the middle of the corridor.

There were too many doorways and dark corners. The owner of the voice jumped out of the one two doors down from Loki, with speed that didn't befit a giant of her size. She brandished an one-handed hatchet the size of an Aesir two-handed battle axe.

'I am not stealing, this was a gift.' Loki lied, taking tentative steps backwards. He didn't dare take his eyes off her even as he searched for a route to run.

'Poor me couldn't tell the difference.' She said grinning wickedly, bloodlust clouding her eyes.

She took a surprisingly swift swipe at Loki. He was fast enough to avoid getting his head cut clean off, but not fast enough to avoid the blade slicing a deep gash from shoulder to collarbone. He fell backwards gasping in pain and shock. Blood started seeping through the torn fabric of his shirt before he even hit the ground. He tried to push himself up despite the pain spreading in his chest. _Despite knowing he was too slow._

The giantess lifted her weapon again with a triumphant cry.


End file.
